Sustainability Street - a new reason to be neighbours

Sustainability Street puts the idea of thinking global while acting local into practice, bringing friends and neighbours together to reduce household waste, water and energy use, as well as work on local sustainability projects. Are you interested in turning your street into a Sustainability Street?

The new “how to” manual is called The Shortcut To Sustainability Street; DIY. It has grown and developed over the last decade, with the input of literally thousands of people … from scores of Australian
communities. The Shortcut comprises the Eight environmental, social and human scale facets which make the SSA a new, unique, and exciting experience for participants.

Each aspect of the Shortcut is then supported, online, with loads of practical ideas and templates to enable such things as community building and running good meetings - to activites such as sharing nature with children, peak oil and worm farming etc., as well as so many stories from other SSA Villages all around Australia.

In Sydney's East.. there are currently four Sustainability Streets

Sustainability Street: O'Sullivan Street, Rose Bay

The Eastern Suburbs most recently formed Sustainability Street came together to turn a patch of roadside which could only be described as a ‘scorched earth triangle’, along O’Sullivan Road in Rose Bay, into a beautiful native garden. They turned up with shovels, sacks and wheelbarrows, ready to move soil and woodchips, and plant native shrubs and ferns. More...

Sustainability Street: Clovelly

Clovelly Child Care Centre is the first community group in Sydney’s East to become a ‘Sustainability Street’ as part of a community based environmental education initiative supported by Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Council’s under the 3-Council Ecological Footprint Program.

The ‘Sustainability Street’ street sign was recently unveiled (on the corner of Brandon and Arden Sts in Clovelly) by parents and staff from the Clovelly Child Care Centre.

Maria Pender, Director of Clovelly Child Care Centre sees the ‘Sustainability Street’ initiative as an opportunity to share the Centre’s strong track record in sustainability practices and future plans with the wider community.

“Clovelly Child Care Centre has taken some practical steps of our own in waste, water and energy reduction and we want to share those with the wider community in a way that builds the bonds in our community,” said Maria.

Sustainability Street: Waverley Park

A Sustainability Street Village is totally defined by and then thrives according to its participants. The idea of the ‘Street’ is just a metaphor for as far as you’re willing to walk to talk to someone about your worms.. your veggies.. your insulation!

Following on from this initial success the Waverley Park Sustainability Street group now has over 20 members that regularly meet every 4-to-6 weeks to develop their various local sustainability projects. They recently established a community verge garden within Waverley Park. If you’re keen to make contact with this group and get involved, or find out how they started their 'Street' from scratch click here.

Sustainability Street: Phillip Bay

On one hand, the Sustainability Street Approach is “basic training” in sustainable living around the home and your neighbourhood … on the other hand - and this is the key - it can become whatever “the imagination and energy” of a local community cares to dream up and achieve.

Residents in Phillip Bay led by Greg Olsen and his neighbours also began their Sustainability Street Village in early 2010 with at least four households interested in sustainability issues including sharing a common veggie garden and cook pen.

The Phillip Bay Sustainability Street has now joined with interested residents from La Perouse who later hope to form their own 'Street'. If you’re interested to find out more or to make contact and get involved in this group please use the contact details below.

Sustainability Street.. a new reason to be neighbours

Sustainability Street puts the idea of thinking global while acting local into practice, bringing friends and neighbours together to learn how to reduce household waste, water and energy use as well as work on local sustainability projects.

Devised by environmental educators Vox Bandicoot, this program provides a practical way of making a real difference in thinking and acting for a sustainable future.

Sustainability Street Approach can apply to your street setting, a school a community group, sporting club, or a bunch of your neighbours or friends - it is totally defined by and then thrives according to its participants.

Get Involved

To register your interest in starting your own Sustainability Street in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, or to contact one of the groups above email info@reduceyourfootprint.com.au

This is a 3-Council Ecological Footprint Project with residents living in the local government areas of Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra eligible to apply.

For the full boogie on the Sustainability Street approach visit www.sustainabilitystreet.org.au