Sustainable living, jobs, education, land-use and environmental awareness will be key to Armidale’s future, according to the outgoing Convenor of Sustainable Living Armidale (SLA), Tanya Howard.
‘During the drought the importance of food security, water access and the protection of habitats and natural areas were dramatically highlighted,’ she says. ‘And so was community resilience. It’s really important the community stays connected and supported to face these issues in the future.
‘This is where SLA fits: we are involved in all aspects of sustainability – social, environmental and economic. We work to ensure that our community has a future for generations to come, for our children and grandchildren.
‘SLA is made up of projects like the Community Garden located behind NERAM, the Climate Action group, a wildlife habitat working group and the transport working group, which is involved in urban infrastructure renewal such as bike paths. These groups run individual projects such as the Sustainable House Tour, the Earth Day event, market stalls and a series of forums throughout the year. We also partner with bodies such as Council and SNELC, Homes North and the University.
‘For example, the current Climate Health Project involves collaboration with UNE staff and Armajun Health, and a forum is being presented via ZOOM on Thursday, 8 July from 6.30pm entitled “The Future of Food: a forum on climate health and sustainable living in Armidale”.’
With these activities, SLA is supporting both the future of Armidale and the country more widely, Ms Howard says – which is why SLA is keen to find a replacement Convenor as Tanya, who has been working as a researcher at UNE since 2012, is moving with her family to Canberra in July.
‘The role, which is voluntary, draws people together and helps the different groups stay in touch. The person for this job will be someone who believes in the role of community organisations in the town and the region, as well as environmental stewardship and sustainability. It’s a “working with people” role, and is very enjoyable and engaging if you have the interest and a bit of time to give back to the community.’
Sustainable Living Armidale grew out of the Ideas Into Action Workshops that were part of the Armidale Sustainable Living Expo in 2007. Its mission is to ‘raise awareness of the implications of climate change and the depletion of natural resources, to build networks, and inspire and empower our community to build a more self-reliant, resilient and sustainable future’.
To enquire about the Convenor role or that of Treasurer, see the post or just email us.
Upcoming event: Thursday 8th July from 6.30pm via ZOOM (due to Covid restrictions) FIND THE ZOOM LINK ON THE SLA HOME PAGE.
- 6.30pm – AGM brief presentation of year’s activities and achievements, financial report
- 7pm – FORUM – The future of Food: a forum on climate heath and sustainable living in Armidale presented by Dr Jen Hamilton (UNE) and Dr Sujata Allan (Armajun AHS).
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