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Requests  Making the Mural / SomerVille Sunday Rezoning Celebration Newsletter Team The Newsletter team is putting out a request for articles, points of interest etc, have your say, share your knowledge. If you are interested in making a contribution, or have any queries about the structure or content please visit www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/newsletters and read the Newsletter Structure, Content and Submission Guidelines, then send any newsletter contributions to newsletter@sev.net.au If you are interested in sending in an article but not sure what to write about you may like to write a short article for the section My Story, that is an article explaining who you are and how you become involved in SomerVille . Trade Accounts for Discounts We are looking into setting up some trade account with a number of business in order to obtain discounts, these trade accounts will not only be used for purchasing items for the SomerVille Ecovillage™ , but could also be used by yourself to purchase items that you require at a discount. So to begin with we are requesting as much information that you can give us in relation to contacts you may have or suppliers you can recommend that offer trade accounts and discounts. They can be for construction materials, office supplies, car maintenance, computers, furniture etc... Anything
So please email any information, contact
details, recommended suppliers etc... to
info@sev.net.au. Milestones The below table is an updated list of the proposed milestones for the SomerVille Ecovillage™ Project. Please note that this is a DRAFT and these are not facts they are goals and so dates may change.
Charcoal Cottage Meeting Room Environment / Place Update provided by Dave Moore Having succeeded in getting the rezoning amendment through the Shire Council in March, much of April has been focussed on what comes next. With the help of project planning engineers, we’ve developed a more detailed timeline that reflects our understanding of the planning and approvals processes ahead. New planning consultants, Planning Solutions, have been engaged. Together with subdivision engineers Development Engineering Consultants they will help us move as speedily through the processes leading to subdivision. Final pegging of building envelopes on housing lots was done in early April, and the lot selection process kicked off mid-month. The first group of ten villagers are due to complete their selections by 24 April. Exciting times! Whilst on this subject, could all members, especially parents, make certain that their family and guests are aware that any pegs or stakes in the ground must not be moved. A review of water supply and usage calculations has been updated, and consultants undertook trenching and augering of the sands, gravels and clays in the creek area. A number of water monitoring sites were also established. On other fronts: A revised carpark plan for the Community House development application is being considered by Shire planning staff. We expect to obtain a response on this by the end of April, hopefully leading to a design and construct contract being concluded shortly thereafter. The Building Guidelines group have met with consultants who we may use to develop our building guidelines and building evaluation procedures. Charcoal Cottage continues to give valuable service as a meeting room. The transportable ablution block has been moved on to the land some 200m in front of the yellow shed and to the south of the casuarinas. We are in the process of getting quotes for supplying power, water, and waste water reticulation, and upgrading the internals to provide two showers and two WCs for females and the same for males.
The biolytix unit, cash flow funded by the
Prices, should be installed in its location to the east of
Walnut Cottage by the end of May. Update provided by Paul Antonelli There has been significant progress in the enterprise activity across a range of areas. An Enterprise Champion engagement methodology has been developed. This process commenced with KT Lim in relation to the Solar Power enterprise and has now been applied, as a process, to a number of other enterprises. The purpose behind this process is to establish a supportive and clear working relationship between the Champion and SomerVille . This includes method of engagement, payment for service, responsibilities and timings. By establishing this clarity the Champion is free to evolve the enterprise as quickly as possible. In this process the Enterprise Champion outlines how they would like to see the enterprise developed and established so it can satisfy their requirements. The Enterprise Action Group and Core Enterprise Group will then provide feedback and input to ensure that it meets and satisfies the requirements of the community. To date this process appears to be operating well. To date there are 8 Enterprise Champions in progress with discussions currently taking place with 1 other Champion. A summary of this can be seen below:
A goal has been set to have 10 to 15 enterprise champions in progress by the end of June 2006. We have also has a number of other community members which have submitted enterprise applications in relation to developing businesses at SomerVille . These will be evolved as part of the process ahead.
Julie-Ann Harper from Chidlow has been engaged as our Enterprise Facilitator. Julie-Ann is not only passionate about enterprise with over 20 year’s active experience in business support and facilitation. She has authored a number of books in this area, delivered a range of business training courses as well as having established a number of her own successful enterprises. Her role will be to provide support to enterprise champions and the general evolution of businesses here at SomerVille . An information booklet for other potential enterprise champions is currently under compilation. Once this is complete an advert will be run in various newspapers in order to potentially attract additional enterprise champions to our project. In May an enterprise and economics planning day will be held. This will involve members of the enterprise groups and all enterprise champions. The purpose behind this day is to conduct a detailed synergy mapping process so that all champions can share information about what they are planning and where they are heading. This will then be compiled in order to provide the required information to complete our Economic and Enterprise Business Plan for SomerVille . We hope to have information about the number of enterprises to be created, number of part time and full time employment opportunities, level of turnover and cash flow generated. This will then be used as a guide to make sure we stay on track and achieve the key objectives. If you are starting to think about life at SomerVille as we have now commenced the lot selection process, please consider if there is an enterprise you would like to be involved in or possibly champion. If you would like to discuss any ideas further or explore opportunities please contact me directly. Social / Cultural
Smoke Blessing Ceremony Update provided by Karen Moore SomerVille Sunday on 2 April was well attended and very ably facilitated by Jan, thank you Jan. Gina kindly kept the children amused playing games near the newly created mandala garden (well done to Jorg and all those children who attend the Farm School). The morning was spent being brought up to date and ended with a game of “Scarecrow” with the children. Thank you to Tess for providing instructions to the “older kids”. After lunch a good number of us enjoyed listening to stories and experiences from Graham Ellis-Smith and Theo Michael. We shared our feelings about the land in smaller groups; had a smoke blessing ceremony and then split into two groups. One group stayed at the camp fire and made damper; whilst the second group went in search of some tea tree for the billy tea. We then took it in turns to serve each other. This simple act of sharing food and drink prepared from the land was inspiring. The clear message from Graham and Theo was that we are as much a part of the land as Indigenous Australians and that we should embrace our connectedness. The day culminated in the painting of two murals – one by the younger members of the community and a second by the not so young members! Carol sang a beautiful self-composed song. Thank you all for a wonderful day and a special thank you to Andrew for arranging the boards and the paints. The CSCG are still developing their “plan” with this to be the highlight of the next meeting scheduled for 25 April. SomerVille Sunday on 7 May will include such species as the next stage of lot selection; a talk on finances from Linley Morris (particularly as they relate to paying off lots); a dedicated facilitator and a childcare facility. Look forward to seeing you there!
Calendar of events
Please note that events in
this calendar are tentative. We will try to adhere to advertised
dates but they may change depending upon circumstances. We will
email you in advance of events if we have your email address,
alternatively please check the calendar located at: Sunday 7th May 2006
Sunday 4th June 2006
Sunday 2nd July 2006
Sunday 6th August 2006
Sunday 10th September 2006
Sunday 1st October 2006
Sunday 5th November 2006
Sunday 31st December 2006
Note: Chidlow Markets occur on the last Saturday of every month For the latest list of all the coming events please visit http://www.greenedge.org/calendar_of_events.htm. Articles Unfortunately there are no articles this month.
My Story
Stacey Stacey's Story Stacey August My story with this Ecovillage began around campfires. It was around campfires that my dreams of living communally took shape. There was lots of talk and great ideas. The central dream for me was that a community building would be built with a pizza oven, kitchen, space for table tennis or pool, sleeping spaces and laundry/toilets. This building which all of us would build together could be our bases whilst we built our houses. We would have our own vege patches and a communal orchard and big garden. Everyone would put in their money, we would buy the land and then start building. Then we would start learning how to make the family community flow. Sound familiar? What happened was that a few dreamers/planters needed some proactive drivers. Nothing came out of it. The idea got tucked away in my dream bag. I went off and continued with my life, doing a range of jobs and eventually became a parent. Being a parent changed everything. No more gypsying, no more arty late nights. Lots of doors closed for a while. Including the one that opened onto earning good money again. So I parented. And will keep on parenting my son for the rest of my life. I like him. It is good. My dream returned with the presence of the child. Even more so now it was imperative to find the dream place so that he could grow up in a huge, safe environment where we had security of tenure. I had also become tired and grumpy about poor house design. I heard about the SomerVille project when it was embryonic. It sounded just what I was hoping for. I came to Mt Helena for a workshop with Max Lindegger in 2003. That was IT! I was sold. Within a week I had a rental house in Chidlow and in three weeks had moved up from Busselton. Over the three years I have been actively involved, I have learned a great deal about myself and my family. We have had changes in fortune and great abundance and generosity showered on us. (For example we were loaned by friends the $12 000 needed to secure an option on a block - interest free). I have seen, again, what can be created by people joining together for a common purpose. We have nestled into the community of the Parkerville Silver Tree Steiner School. I have become a part of a network of folks at SomerVille who appreciate creativity, peaceful resolution, communal childcare opportunities and good cooking. How wonderful that we also share appreciation of good house design, worms and their work, organic food and community buildings. Sometimes over the past three years I have found SomerVille Sundays to be overwhelming I would go home with too much buzzing in my head and many unanswered questions. There may have been many conversations about huge issues – wood fires vs gas, wet composting toilets vs dry or dogs and cats vs peace and no poo. Some of the issues we would discuss would bring up an emotional response from me. Because there was so many people out there on a Sunday, it was not always the place to try to resolve questions and feelings. Processing it at home alone was not much of a choice either. I discovered recently to my great relief that there is an avenue for discussion which has me moving into the next century in using technology. I clarify my thoughts onto a computer document before I send them on, via email, to the correct person in the three 'bubbles' of care that form our structure. (land care, economic enterprise and social groups). These busy people can look at my ideas; complaints and offers at their own pace and respond with other members of the 'bubble' before 'talking' with me. I aim to keep on using this process. Hopefully I can grow into a person who provides accurate knowledge and valuable networking possibilities to the 'bubbles'. Right now the priority is getting a well paid job, probably in my profession as a physiotherapist. Inspirational thoughts abound at SomerVille and one of them is to 'follow one's passion'. I will try to find a job as a physio who assists with graceful movement, teaches about worms and recycling, tells stories really well, facilitates group dynamics and draws amazing things- oh yeah and plays a mean fiddle!
Regards to all - Stacey
wormgirl@sev.net.au
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