Development and public transport
28/07/08 15:31 Filed in: Villager's
News
In the context of various discussions going on of
development in our region, Villagers may be
interested in the comments of local Port Willunga
'Friend' Michael Gribble, as forwarded by
Stephanie Johnston:
We drove home from Port Willunga yesterday and were quite startled at the number of big new building developments which have appeared in the last few weeks, pushing South, between Main South Road and Commercial Road. The advance of suburbia in less than the last 5 years is horrific, and seems to be accelerating. Remembering what that countryside was like, say 20 years ago - it begs the question of what it will be like in another 5, let alone 20, years!
The coastal suburban strip which now stretches from Brighton to Maslin Beach, looks as though it will shortly link up with the suburban hinterland at Aldinga, courtesy of freeing up Bowering Hill for "development." If I am right in thinking that this is inevitable, then I wonder if it might not be more practical to work towards a "Least Bad" solution, rather than try to maintain a "country-suburban divide."
Places like Kingston Park, Marino, and Hallett Cove have a suburban hinterland complete with suburban railway connections to the city, and are really not too unpleasant. The sea-side atmosphere is maintained, although they are not "country". I suggest that even now, the Port Willunga / Aldinga Beach housing development along Quinliven and Aldinga Beach Roads, is not all that different, except for the lack of public transport to the city.
If suburban development goes on without appropriate infrastructure, including schools, shops, etc. and particularly rail and road public transport to Lonsdale and the city, there is too great a chance that these new developments will become welfare-dependent ghettoes.
I really think that the key factor would be the extension of the (hopefully electrified) rail line from Colonnades (Noarlunga) due south to Seaford and on to Aldinga Central. I don't think that Family First's idea of using part of the old Willunga rail route would really help, since that follows a sinuous E-W axis, and to be effective, the Port Noarlunga, Seaford and Aldinga areas need a direct N-S route. Now is not a bad time to think of pushing this idea, while Government still owns a good deal of the land, and could avoid having to purchase privately held property.
I notice that the Council Business Plan 2008/09 skirts right round the worsening transport problems!
We drove home from Port Willunga yesterday and were quite startled at the number of big new building developments which have appeared in the last few weeks, pushing South, between Main South Road and Commercial Road. The advance of suburbia in less than the last 5 years is horrific, and seems to be accelerating. Remembering what that countryside was like, say 20 years ago - it begs the question of what it will be like in another 5, let alone 20, years!
The coastal suburban strip which now stretches from Brighton to Maslin Beach, looks as though it will shortly link up with the suburban hinterland at Aldinga, courtesy of freeing up Bowering Hill for "development." If I am right in thinking that this is inevitable, then I wonder if it might not be more practical to work towards a "Least Bad" solution, rather than try to maintain a "country-suburban divide."
Places like Kingston Park, Marino, and Hallett Cove have a suburban hinterland complete with suburban railway connections to the city, and are really not too unpleasant. The sea-side atmosphere is maintained, although they are not "country". I suggest that even now, the Port Willunga / Aldinga Beach housing development along Quinliven and Aldinga Beach Roads, is not all that different, except for the lack of public transport to the city.
If suburban development goes on without appropriate infrastructure, including schools, shops, etc. and particularly rail and road public transport to Lonsdale and the city, there is too great a chance that these new developments will become welfare-dependent ghettoes.
I really think that the key factor would be the extension of the (hopefully electrified) rail line from Colonnades (Noarlunga) due south to Seaford and on to Aldinga Central. I don't think that Family First's idea of using part of the old Willunga rail route would really help, since that follows a sinuous E-W axis, and to be effective, the Port Noarlunga, Seaford and Aldinga areas need a direct N-S route. Now is not a bad time to think of pushing this idea, while Government still owns a good deal of the land, and could avoid having to purchase privately held property.
I notice that the Council Business Plan 2008/09 skirts right round the worsening transport problems!
Art with environmental punch
28/07/08 15:09 Filed in: Arts News
Statistics are a very dry way to present
information. Art, on the other hand, is one of
the most powerful tools we have for linking a
message with emotional impact. Have a look at
this link sent in by Sue Wiseman. Art is cleverly
used to portray statistics as a very scary
message!
http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id
http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id
Mustard - Hot stuff for natural pest control
28/07/08 14:59 Filed in: Farm News
Modern science is putting a centuries-old farming
practice under the microscope for its potential
to help with control of pests and diseases in
modern agriculture; and we can also benefit in
our own small-scale agriculture here at AAEV.
Some plant species of the cabbage family (Brassicas) naturally release compounds that suppress pests and pathogens, principally isothiocyanates (ITCs), which most people would recognise as the ‘hot’ flavour in mustard or horseradish. This week, researchers, growers and industry specialists from 22 countries are sharing the latest research into use of Brassica species, such as mustard, radish, or rapeseed, to manage soil-borne pests and weeds – a technique known as biofumigation. Read more at:
http://www.csiro.au/news/BiofumigationSymposium.html
Thanks to Brad N. for the link).
Some plant species of the cabbage family (Brassicas) naturally release compounds that suppress pests and pathogens, principally isothiocyanates (ITCs), which most people would recognise as the ‘hot’ flavour in mustard or horseradish. This week, researchers, growers and industry specialists from 22 countries are sharing the latest research into use of Brassica species, such as mustard, radish, or rapeseed, to manage soil-borne pests and weeds – a technique known as biofumigation. Read more at:
http://www.csiro.au/news/BiofumigationSymposium.html
Thanks to Brad N. for the link).
Spinning & weaving equipment for loan
21/07/08 15:46 Filed in: Villager's
News
I have a spinning wheel and a weaving frame one
metre in width .....both available for loan at
any time.
Jill Wilson - 7 Grevillea Way (Lot 142) - phone 8557 7733
Jill Wilson - 7 Grevillea Way (Lot 142) - phone 8557 7733
New data on water through the WWTP
21/07/08 15:03 Filed in: Services
News
Over the last 6 weeks, the average amount of
water passing through the WWTP has been around 9
KL per day. Throughput is growing with the
Village and represents an increasing resource in
terms of water and nutrients.
John Heij
John Heij
New local Shuttle Bus service
21/07/08 14:56 Filed in: Villager's
News
Thanks to Leonie H. for passing on this very
useful piece of local information:
Robyn's Southern Spirit Tours - specialising in winery tours - will begin operating a new Saturday night shuttle bus service (6:30 - 11:30 pm) in the McLaren Vale region from 26 July. Drop-off and pick-up will also include regional restaurants so eveyone can enjoy a wine with dinner. $10 per person return trip within a 10 km radius. Could be just the thing for Saturday night out with friends! See the ATTACHED flyer:
Shuttle Bus flyer
Robyn's Southern Spirit Tours - specialising in winery tours - will begin operating a new Saturday night shuttle bus service (6:30 - 11:30 pm) in the McLaren Vale region from 26 July. Drop-off and pick-up will also include regional restaurants so eveyone can enjoy a wine with dinner. $10 per person return trip within a 10 km radius. Could be just the thing for Saturday night out with friends! See the ATTACHED flyer:
Shuttle Bus flyer
Great new case study on AAEV
17/07/08 16:24 Filed in: Villager's
News
Vanda Rounsefell, in the course of a contract
research project for CSIRO, has produced an
excellent new case study of our eco-village. You
can find a copy on our website at:
http://www.aaev.net/about/assets/CaseStudyAAEV_VRounsefell.pdf [2.2 MB]
Congratulations, Vanda. This will be a very useful reference for us - and a good one to point people to if they are enquiring about our Village.
http://www.aaev.net/about/assets/CaseStudyAAEV_VRounsefell.pdf [2.2 MB]
Congratulations, Vanda. This will be a very useful reference for us - and a good one to point people to if they are enquiring about our Village.
Interesting comment on sustainability targets
17/07/08 14:36 Filed in: Villager's
News
Thanks to Vanda for this thought-provoking
comment on the use of targets for carbon
emissions reduction from Urban Ecology architect
Paul Downton - paul@ecopolis.com.au:
It's good to see people finally 'getting' the message about sustainability needing to start where most people live - in cities - but I don't agree about the targets analogy.
Much more to the point is a direct analogy with the moon landings. JFK said 'We'll land men on the moon before the end of the decade' and at the time there was only the vaguest idea of how that could be done – and a lot of naysayers said it couldn't. There was no prior knowledge of exactly what might be involved, just a general route map with a start and finish point... everything had to be worked out as they went along and tried to reach the goal. That's the only way we can move forwards now. 'Rigorous analysis of how emissions reduction might be achieved' is the same as not doing anything. We KNOW that the targets have to be reached. We KNOW that the atmosphere already has to much CO2 in it. There is no reason not to articulate ever more ambitious targets when those targets are basically science saying 'hey, you know, 20% by 2050 isn't enough, hell, 50% isn't enough, maybe 80% isn't enough'. We KNOW that what we really need is 100% emissions reduction. Aim at that and there's a chance we'll get somewhere, but any analysis will tell you that 100% is unachievable. The aim has to be as high as possible, then we just do our damnedest to get somewhere near it!
It's good to see people finally 'getting' the message about sustainability needing to start where most people live - in cities - but I don't agree about the targets analogy.
Much more to the point is a direct analogy with the moon landings. JFK said 'We'll land men on the moon before the end of the decade' and at the time there was only the vaguest idea of how that could be done – and a lot of naysayers said it couldn't. There was no prior knowledge of exactly what might be involved, just a general route map with a start and finish point... everything had to be worked out as they went along and tried to reach the goal. That's the only way we can move forwards now. 'Rigorous analysis of how emissions reduction might be achieved' is the same as not doing anything. We KNOW that the targets have to be reached. We KNOW that the atmosphere already has to much CO2 in it. There is no reason not to articulate ever more ambitious targets when those targets are basically science saying 'hey, you know, 20% by 2050 isn't enough, hell, 50% isn't enough, maybe 80% isn't enough'. We KNOW that what we really need is 100% emissions reduction. Aim at that and there's a chance we'll get somewhere, but any analysis will tell you that 100% is unachievable. The aim has to be as high as possible, then we just do our damnedest to get somewhere near it!
Great satirical article on Peak Oil
03/07/08 14:53 Filed in: Villager's
News
Thanks to Deb Harding for the following link to
George Monbiot's pointed and satirical article on
Peak Oil: "We Have Gone Mad, Your Majesty, And
Only You Can Cure Our Affliction." In it he
outlines many of the facts and issues surrounding
Peak Oil, while pointing out the hypocrisy of the
UK (and other) governments' policies and
rhetoric. It is a brilliant piece of writing,
well worth reading. Find it at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/27/carbonemissions.energy
Know how our National Energy System works?
03/07/08 14:29 Filed in: Villager's
News
Our electrical energy supply is a topic of rising
importance. If you are interested in how the
national energy system is set up, here is an
information reference from the Centre for Policy
Development: http://www.cpd.org.au/article/fencing-wire-and-mirrors-world-national-energy-system