An exciting new Australian initiative called Sustainability Street’ is helping to bring environmental solutions down to the neighbourhood level. Subtitled, A New Reason to be Neighbours, it fulfils the common yearning for community connection and the desire to make a positive difference. It is providing a model for turning suburban streets into de facto villages
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Georgia Street residents celebrating their Sustainability Street’ project. Photograph: © Frank Ryan of Vox Bandicoot

Suggested activities include the planting of indigenous plants or trees, installing shared rainwater collection, community car-pooling, and establishing a community garden. Biodiversity is an important consideration. Over the back fence’ types of communication are central to the project because they serve as community glue.

Plans for Sustainability Street were developed by the Melbourne-based environmental communications design company, Vox Bandicoot, on behalf of the local government environment network, Environs Australia. Moreland City Council, sustainability pioneers located in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, opted to be the first participant.
A community launch meeting held last July at the Moreland Civic Centre attracted more than 150 people. So far, at least two streets in the suburb of Coburg have joined up.
Sustainability Street will have links to schools, relevant community groups, and local government. There is also an emphasis on capacity-building’, based on community-building recommendations from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit ñ providing the skills, motivation, and support necessary to encourage grassroots level ownership and commitment. Projects need to be owned by the streets’ residents.

Vox Bandicoot describes “capturing the local street party spirit, and giving it meaning, a sense of destiny and achievement.” This idea is mirrored by Environs when they say: “people are looking for something they can pour their passion into.”
It is hoped that “a critical mass of such people, on the same journey, will ensure a sustainable nation.” The first 21st Century Display Villages’, will be examples of what is possible and will attract interested visitors from other suburbs. The streets’ achievements will be celebrated with street parties and it is hoped there will be television documentaries.
A second local government supporter in New South Wales is Wollongong City Council, which had a good response from neighbourhood committees and interest has also come from many others around the country. As someone once said, “If we have fun saving the Earth, the Earth will be saved.”
FURTHER INFORMATION : For more information, to register a council’s interest, or to obtain the Sustainability Street manual, It’s a Village out There’, please contact:
Scott McKenzie, Environs Australia, 4/247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9654 1322
WEB SITE : http://www.environs.org.au/ projects/sust_street.html EMAIL: scott.mckenzie@environs.org.au