Home » Local groups » South Island

Waitati

 

Waitati is a small (roughly 200 household) community, 20 kms north of Dunedin and Dunedin North on Blueskin Bay - just over the hill from Port Chalmers.

We're a small community with a lot of ommph (see http://www.bethechange.org.nz/blogs/bus-crew/waitati). There's a long history of trying out alternatives and starting initiatives for sustainability and environmental awareness. In 2006 we began thinking more precisely about Peak Oil, Climate Change and managing the challenges. Since then, much has happened. 2007 was busy, 2008 was a very big year, and in 2009 we spread our wings! This year (2010) promises to be very dynamic and one where we reap the fruit of our labour within the energy and food projects.

By the way, we've got many plans and initiatives, and we do some 'Blue Sky Visioning' to help us get there, while we have a Trust to provide an umbrella for initiatives and strategic governance.

Some Important Social/Alt/Enviro Institutions and or sites

Where we are at now.

We formed a Trust (the Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust) in 2008 to provide governance for our sustainability initiatives and have divided our areas of current action into three: ENERGY (Waitati Energy Project), FOOD (Waitati Edible Gardens) and TRANSPORT (integrating and working with existing initiatives such as W3 Rideshare, Get-the-Train, and the East Otago Walking-Cycling Network). The Trust is concerned with giving an economic underpinning to our sustainability initiatives while maintaining the community building focus, but more generally we want to enhance what is already in existence, and learn from success.

Since receiving Hikurangi Support in August 2009, we've been resourced to function as a Climate Change hub, working closely with other groups (hubs) around Aotearoa/New Zealand to better develop and deliver action, develop common strategy, learn more about what works and what doesn't and get greater access to expertise, mentoring and inspiration. We've already established great dialogue with these dynamic hubs for action on Climate Change.

Waitati Energy Project Columns

(Click the link)

This page is a collection of WEP monthly Columns. The column provides the public face to WEP action locally and is a partial log of activities.

Sponsors and Funders

Our initiatives aimed at making a transition to a lower energy lifestyle, building local resilience, and creatively planning for a challenging future are supported not just by a dynamic and engaged community of volunteers and passionate people, but also by some key sponsors and funders. We are grateful for the support we receive and here we provide a profile our our sponsors and funders and explain which aspects of our work is being sustained.

Forum, Discussion and Tasks

It is not just here at Waitati, though there are many diverse activities here. Related things are happening in our general Dunedin area. Where better to deal with all this inter-related stuff than in a forum? The Dunedin Area Forum is where different forum topics relating to the greater Dunedin Area is located, and is interactive - an open space for discussion. Other than that, you could go to the different transition initiatives (their pages) in Dunedin: so far Dunedin North, Port Chalmers, and Dunedin, and expanding! (Actually, expanding along the East Coast of Otago - have a look at the East Otago Transition Collaboration discussion, emerging as a project based regional grouping of Transition initiatives to make things happen).

Now there's a TT page where we'll be listing TASKS to do, with some detail where there's a possibility for people to help out or contribute.

 

In the Media

The Waitati Energy Project, Waitati Edible Gardens, and W3 Rideshare have monthly columns in the Blueskin News, but occassionally others are interested in what's happening in Waitati

 

Contact

The Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust office on 03 4822048 or blueskincommunities@gmail.com,

Scott Willis on 03 4822048 or waitatienergy@gmail.com or Sue Hensley at sue.hensley@gmail.com