Auckland Council Sustainable Living Info

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Latest workshops on Sustainable Living

Auckland Council have not yet renewed their subscription to Sustainable Living Education Trust for 2017-2018 finacial year so pending that decison free access for the public has been suspended and passwords changed. We'd love to have your Council back, as the largest number of individual registrations on this site in recent years have come from Auckland. 

Individual household or community organisation subscriptions can be arranged for a fee - contact rhys@sustainableliving.org.nz to arrange!

Gardens & backyards – for food and nature

• Create Your Own Eden (includes composting info.) 
• Info on vegetable growing, pest control and attracting birds to Auckland gardens. (pdf leaflets from the Botanic gardens).
• South Auckland ‘growing for health’ trial plots.
• Growing native plants in Auckland.  (pdf leaflets from the Botanic Gardens). 

• Encouraging lizards and wetas in Auckland backyards (4 minute DOC-TVNZ video, suits younger children)

• Urban possum and rat pest control by community groups (4 minute DOC-TVNZ video, suits older children & adults)

• Get Involved – a directory of Auckland projects and groups.
• Kaipatiki Project and Environment Centre in Birkdale. Community education: Anna Halliwell  (09) 482 1172  education (at) kaipatiki.org.nz  includes conservation & habitat restoration projects, water monitoring, composting, back yard chickens, beekeeping & more.

Food choices - the critical consumer

• Farmers Markets in Auckland are food-only markets, covering a defined local area, where the vendors are the growers. At Matakana, Hobsonville, Orewa, Britomart, Grey Lynn, and Parnell, so far.
• Kai Auckland website for links to many groups and projects related to local food.
• Fair Trade stores in Auckland including Trade Aid.
• Conscious Consumers - endorsed cafes. Email:
  auckland@consciousconsumers.org.nz
   Auckland (at) consciousconsumers.org.nz
• Out of our Own Backyards (OOOBY)- food surplus swaps and gifting, also an associated box delivery service. Started on Waiheke.

Minimising waste

• Get your rubbish sorted, in Auckland (includes link to pdf of booklet)

• Wastewise Schools (see also schools section, below)

• Potentially hazardous chemicals at home (lead, mercury, asbestos, etc.)

Resilience: Civil Defence and Emergency Management

• Being aware of and prepared for hazards: volcano, tsunami, earthquakes, floods, slips, loss of fresh water supply, bush fires, etc.
• Get ready to get thru: prepared at home (includes videos) 

Building work, for warm and dry homes

• Eco Design Advisor  and insulation 'Retrofit Your Home'  For appointments: Freephone 0508 326 337                     

• Why insulate your home?  1 minute video from EECA

Water use and impacts

• Stormwater and your home.

• Save water at home.  Includes PDF Auckland reference guide to download 'Be Waterwise' (and related pages for business) Printed copies are available from Watercare Services contact centre: 09 442 2222

• A free customised water audit service is available to any household in Auckland that would like to reduce their water use and is delivered by EcoMatters Environment Trust. More information here

• Natural environment and biodiversity  includes a PDF on Auckland wetlands.
  
  

Getting around Auckland

• Journey planning across Auckland by bus, rail and walking.  Use MAXX travel planner on your computer.   

• AT Public Transport has released a free Android app, and a free app for the iPhone, which is  available on the Apple iPhone App Store 

• Independent reporting of potholes or hazards in roads and pavements (e.g. for cyclist and pedestrian safety)  ‘Fix my street’ website    You can submit a photo and use their map to show location.

• Everyday walking advocates: ‘Walk Auckland’.  
• walking route guides for Auckland    
• Why walk for half an hour a day? (A health information video)
• Auckland cycling videos and map links.  Getting back onto a bike after driving? This link may help.

Extra information sources in Auckland

• Auckland Library services –  search results of their ‘Sustainable Living’ resources. (a large number of items - you can narrow it by specifying your local library, if it is for adults or children, preferred type of media, etc.)

• Environmental programmes - Auckland council links.

• EcoMatters Trust Sustainable Living Centre.  Water and sustainability advice line: Olivia Tukuogo  (09) 826 0563

• Education for sustainability in schools: contacts on Council website

• Enviroschools coordination across Auckland (there are 167):  Sandy Bell-Jameson (09) 624 4940 email sandy.bell (at) aucklandcouncil.govt.nz   Enviroschools website.

• Your contact for Sustainable Living Education Trust at Auckland Council is: (to be updated.  Meanwhile SLET Coordinator  at 03 6938726)
  

  
    

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