You might be wondering what are transition town after hearing the term. The whole idea of building these towns is to be locally active, economical, and sustainable. We are here to help you know more about transition towns, particularly in Auckland.
What is a transition town?
Transition Towns are diverse communities of numerous types. The goal of these transition towns is to share their knowledge and make their communities more ecological. It’s about cities, villages, and regions working to become less energy-dependent and more sustainable.
Local food production and consumption are among the transition initiatives. Supporting mass transportation and bike and ultimately, create plastic-free zones are a few of their agendas. These communities also host zero-waste, trash reduction, recycling activities and workshops, and environmental projects at local schools.
History of transition towns
Finn Mackesy and Niki Harre, two Point Chevalier residents, co-founded Transition Point Chevalier in 2008. They became members of the community because they were concerned about climate change. Today it’s encouraging to see how many Point Chevalier people are now active in Transition activities in the area.
Significant measures taken towards a higher quality of life in Auckland’s transition towns
A set of rules has to be followed to sustain the genuineness of a transition town. Below is a list of the same.
Shared gardens
On the first Sunday of each month, residents collaborate in each other’s organic gardens. The purpose is to promote urban agricultural production and healthy gardens.
Exchange of things
Food, time, and skills are exchanged at the Point Chevalier Community Garden, located at a local community center. Implementing community-supported agriculture is a part of the journey.
Planting trees
It was simple to get the Auckland Council’s approval on a local public reserve where the community orchard is being built to plant lemon, avocado, and banana trees.
Purchasing group
Transition Point Chevalier Purchasing Group is a group of 20 people who buy from local producers and distributors to reduce food travel. This process is an alternative to traditional supermarket shopping. Natural, local, better deal, less packing, reliability, and value are all factors in selecting products. Purchasing is a crucial aspect of building a more environmentally conscious society and caring for one another.
Collaboration of community and school
Transition Point Chevalier collaborates with Point Chevalier School to establish a location for soft-plastic recycling; as a result, the amount of local plastic going to the landfill has decreased dramatically. A company like Enviroreel reuses plastic to manufacture wheels, wire covers, and garden curbing, among other things.
School working with community
To create a robust sustainability program, Point Chevalier School works with the community. Fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs are planted in school gardens, and students collect and prepare the food. The school reuses soft plastic, paper, and cardboard and regenerates food waste using worm farms and compost piles.
