Residents of the Shire of Kalamunda in Western Australia recently had a unique opportunity to take affirmative action in their everyday lives by participating in the creation of a sustainable community.
Kalamunda is on the eastern metropolitan fringe, some
24 kilometres from Perth’s CBD.
To assist residents in protecting and appreciating their local natural environment, Council invited residents to participate in a free, six week, ‘Living Smart’ course, which started in November.
Living Smart courses aim to provide participants with the practical knowledge and skills to take action to reduce their ecological footprint and enjoy more sustainable lives in their home and community.
Shire of Kalamunda Environmental Coordinator, Giles Glasson, said the course was packed with handy hints on saving water, gas and energy, as well as information on transport and waste management, safe use of household chemicals, indoor air quality, biodiversity and healthier and happier lifestyles.
“These topics are at the heart of what sustainability is about,” he said. “The program was not about bullying people into doing the right thing, it was about instigating social change in our local community and providing a framework to inspire participants to look to the future with increased optimism and hope for the state of the planet.
“A Living Smart lifestyle will empower residents to improve their quality of life, reduce their ecological impact on the environment, and will provide them with the opportunity to meet local likeminded people.”
Giles Glasson said around 70 people participated in the program, with numbers growing each week as word filtered through the community.
“Feedback from all participants has been extremely positive,” he said. “They were all ultra keen and willingly set goals for themselves to achieve every week, which aimed to improve the quality of their lives. These goals varied anywhere from investing in renewable energy sources, to setting up no dig vegetable patches in their backyard and making a commitment to changing their diet or purchasing habits.”
For further information contact Giles Glasson, telephone (08) 9257 9936.
