Civilisation is irretrievably doomed!

Wombat · Post: # 57630Post **Wombat** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:54 am

It is not often that I am moved to either violence or drink (can't make up my mind which) but today was it!

For some time my concern to do good things for the planet has moved me to try and start a local self sufficientish group, just where I live. Some time ago I put up flyers on conspicuous noticeboards to try and gauge the level of interest. But I got no calls or emails - nothing!

So my fertile (or full of crap) mind came up with the idea of having a stall down the local shopping centre. It's busy, only 5 minutes walk, ideal! So I trudge of to talk to the centre management about it. Rude shock! To even get my foot in the door and before any other negotiations I need $20 million worth of public liability insurance! $20 MILLION!

This is not just me, anyone has to have it - the sallies, the girl guides, the local football club - everyone. But I am not a group I am ME! So I figure there must be organisations who look after this sort of stuff and sure enough after 20 minutes net time they are tracked down and called. Long story short - for me, for one day, for $20 mill public liability is going to cost me $150 - minimum. Just to find out if anyone is interested in FORMING a group let alone holding meetings.

If this is the state we have gotten to, I don't know how we can possibly save anyhting!

Nev

Cornelian · Post: # 57632Post **Cornelian** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:45 am

Nev, you need a box on a street corner. :)

I'm not too sure that a shopping centre is a great place to find self-sufficientish peoples. While it may be a great meeting place for people ... maybe not self-sufficientish people.

Why not try flyers in a local organics shop? An artisan's shop? Or ... speak to the local newspaper, sell yourself to a journalist, tell him or her you want to start up a self-sufficientish group, invite them to do an article on you and your life and garden etc, and get it up and running from there. I'd think a local newspaper would be really interested and would get you great publicity for free.

I'd join you, Nev, if only you lived closer!

Cornelian · Post: # 57633Post **Cornelian** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:46 am

OK, I know some self-sufficientish-minded people in Sydney - let me see if they're interested in having a wombat meetup. :)

Shirley · Post: # 57641Post **Shirley** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:55 am

We've come across this public liability insurance thing before too - we wanted to go to the Outsider Festival but it costs money aND they need this public liability insurance too

Puts it out of reach for small voluntary groups doesn't it.

Jack · Post: # 57643Post **Jack** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:20 am

Gidday

Hey Nev, that's real great news.

I am so pleased that this country isn't as bad as some when it comes to something.

Sorry about that, but what a brilliant idea. I will start thinking I the idea might work here.

Wombat · Post: # 57645Post **Wombat** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:47 am

Cornelian wrote:Nev, you need a box on a street corner. :)

I'm not too sure that a shopping centre is a great place to find self-sufficientish peoples. While it may be a great meeting place for people ... maybe not self-sufficientish people. Why not try flyers in a local organics shop? An artisan's shop? Or ... speak to the local newspaper, sell yourself to a journalist, tell him or her you want to start up a self-sufficientish group, invite them to do an article on you and your life and garden etc, and get it up and running from there. I'd think a local newspaper would be really interested and would get you great publicity for free.

I'd join you, Nev, if only you lived closer!

Thanks for the words of support Cornelian!

Unfortunately there are no artisans shps, organic shops, farmers markets etc within my local area, the shopping centre is really it. The local paper idea is a good one and I am going to look into that. I have also had fetes suggested and that may be worth a look.

I'd love to have you here, if only you lived closer, fancy moving to Sydney?

and thanks for talking to your mates in Sydney for me!

Nev

Wombat · Post: # 57646Post **Wombat** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:48 am

Shirlz wrote:We've come across this public liability insurance thing before too - we wanted to go to the Outsider Festival but it costs money aND they need this public liability insurance too Puts it out of reach for small voluntary groups doesn't it.

Yep!

Wombat · Post: # 57647Post **Wombat** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:50 am

Jack wrote:Gidday

Hey Nev, that's real great news.

I am so pleased that this country isn't as bad as some when it comes to something.

Sorry about that, but what a brilliant idea. I will start thinking I the idea might work here.

Thanks Jack!

I was going to have some stuff that people might not have seen before - solar oven, solar cooker, pot-in-pot cooler, the handcart etc. to get attention, then see if they wanted to be part of a group.....

Nev

ina · Post: # 57648Post **ina** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:29 am

Nev, I suppose your local is different from my local... Are you talking about one part of Sydney - or Sydney as a whole?

I'm still and continuously amazed at how many people I met locally through the internet - first this forum, and then, even more so, NEEPS. But then, some of these "locals" I met live two hours drive away - what country folk call local.

Anyway, even if you don't have local shops of the right kind - surely there must be some, maybe a little further away? And if there are people in your area with similar interests to yours, they must be using these slightly-further-away shops, too - so they might be worth a try. The shopkeepers might know more, too.

It might also be worth going for a walk around the neighbourhood (or what you'd consider local area) and just look at the gardens and yards they have: Piles of junk? Ask them what they do with it! And veggie beds speak for themselves... Or solar panels etc. You know what I mean.

Thomzo · Post: # 57665Post **Thomzo** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:22 pm

Hi Nev
Unfortunately it is as bad here. A local man wrote a book about Swindon to raise money for charity. The Swindon tourist information office refused to stock it as he didn't have product liability insurance!

Zoe

Cornelian · Post: # 57711Post **Cornelian** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:55 pm

Sorry, Nev, I think I scared away my Sydney friends! I did my best for you, though.

Wombat · Post: # 57744Post **Wombat** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:54 pm

Cornelian wrote:Sorry, Nev, I think I scared away my Sydney friends! I did my best for you, though.

No worries

Nev

The Chili Monster · Thu May 17, 2007 11:30 pm

Hi, Nev
Perhaps you could send a press release regarding your impending self-sufficiency exercise to all local & national papers. You could mention how long the project will run for and give a flavour of how you are going to achieve this, i.e the solar oven, soya milk, etc. Also, if your employer's agreeable you could mention how they've agreed to the sabbatical. You could even ask that that the article mentions that you are looking for like-minded bods with whom to share good practice.

thomas533 · Post: # 57765Post **thomas533** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:50 am

meetup.com shows a few people interested in permaculture in Sidney:
http://permaculture.meetup.com/cities/au/sydney/

I'd keep an eye on the community section of http://sydney.craigslist.org/

The University of Sidney seems to have a professor who specializes in "Sustainable crop production systems, sustaining the environment, postharvest processing and quality." His name is David Guest. I'd hang out at any of his classes and meet him and/or his students. http://www.agric.usyd.edu.au/staff/index.shtml