Waitakere City: New Zealand's First eco-city (where people rely on cars and the trains run on DIESEL!)

Don't get me wrong, this place deserves the title for so many different reasons but it hard to get over the fact I feel I'm losing muscle on around my thighs, bum and probably putting on fat in those areas.... it's like the US: you can't get around this country without a car. The landscape means houses are spaced out, therefore transport infrastructure is practically non-existent. It makes me appreciate Edinburgh Lothian buses extensive bus network all the more (despite the tramworks, but I'm getting off track...).

I visited Vision Waitakere last week on Thursday, the highlight of my week for a number of reasons. Max, a local resident and community leader who lives there with his wife took us on tour of this retirement village which besides having everything you's ever need in it so that you never have to leave, is an amazing example of eco-sustainability.

On the eco-front, they have community gardens which the residents had to fight for. Max told me that it was their involvement with Project Twin Streams at Community Waitakere that inspired them to develop the area outside the village. Project Twin Streams (PTS) supports regeneration of the riparian (stream side) areas by planting native species. This in turn prevents the storm waters polluting the stream. Wendy, the Community Co-ordinator at PTS told me that fish were dying because people were cutting down plants. Another lady told me that food processors were banned too. Rightly so; of course the fish were dying, wouldn't we if we dranks water with shredded food and all sorts of rubbish in it?

Anyways, Max said that after this successful partnership work between Wendy at PTS and the residents of Vision Waitakere, the idea of a community garden in the area above the riparian came out. Then Wendy suggested applying to the council for a water-tank harvester and a grant to make a huge worm farm. Not only this, the village were drastically cutting their waste down so that they no longer needed rubbish bins anymore and put the new worm farm in the old bins location. And they saved money on waste management too.

He told me lots of stoies of empowerment and resistence from authority, in this case the Vision Waitakere Management but the underdogs here seem to win through and stories of the triumpant always make me smile......

I asked Max 'What's your inspiration?' and his face was a picture. 'I don't know what my inspiration is...?'

The Civic Centre and Council Building here is brand shiny new and also 4 star awarded as a green building. I'm going to have a tour next week of there:

Environmental features

• Solar shading

• Rainwater harvesting (for toilets)

• Stormwater filtering

• Use of sustainable and/or recycled construction materials

• Provision of bike racks and showers

When I consider bringing my Chinese dictionary to an English Speaking country

On a plane to Kiwiland...

I'm flying from Glasgow International Airport tomorrow at 1310 and won't have email access for at least 2 days until Sunday, and when I arrive at 525 in the morning, I think I'll spend the day chilling out...... in the meantime, here's the brief for the project I start the day after:

Epping Esplanade Community Garden Concept

Community Waitakere, Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek proposes to establish a community garden in the Epping Esplanade Park. Residents in this area reflect the diversity of ethnicities that is characteristic of Waitakere, with a significant minority of Chinese immigrant households where non English speaking grandparents are involved in childcare while parents work.


Our vision for the garden is not only to establish and manage a community food garden through processes which involve the full participation of members for the supply of fresh, organically grown food, but to create a learning environment which offers practical hands on learning to the wider community. We expect to be offering workshops on all aspects of organic food growing including food forests, composting, water harvesting, and cooking.


We will be inviting residents in the immediate neighbourhood of Buscombe Ave, Epping Rd, Jubaea Place, Hoya Place and Woodford Avenue to participate in this project as well as the two local schools Nga Kakano O Kaihanga Christian Kura and Sunderland School . A community group, Art of Living Meditation Group have the immediate stream bank as their adopted area which they have planted and maintained since 2007 and they are also keen to be involved.


In summary we aim to engage the community in planning and creating a project which aims to achieve the following:-


• to establish and manage a community food garden for the supply of fresh, organically grown food, to members initially with the potential to widen distribution.


• to enhance opportunities for social interaction among members.


• to provide a living classroom for community workshops


• to function as a demonstration model of sustainability and self reliance


• As well as increasing our skills in growing food we are aiming to nurture and grow a sense of belonging and connection between neighbours and residents of Henderson.