Media Release

11 June 2010

Community Notice ~ Uralla Sustainability Forum

Uralla is hosting the second Local Sustainability Forum taking place as part of a series across the New England Region. The Forum will provide a unique opportunity for the community to have their say about the priorities required for Uralla's sustainability, strength and uniqueness. The Forum is being held at the Uralla Community Centre, Hill Street on Tuesday evening, 22 June 2010 with supper to be provided. The format of the Uralla Forum will be an open discussion, said Adam Blakester, Convenor of the New England Sustainability Strategy (NESS). This format is designed to make it as easy as possible for everyone and anyone to participate, across all ages and all interests. The Uralla Sustainability Forum will strengthen and extend upon the local work already being undertaken by groups such as the Uralla Climate Change Consensus Forum. The outcomes will also directly feed into the regional New England Sustainability Strategy, which is being finalised at a major public forum being held at NERAM in November as part of SLEx'10. The Uralla discussions will be recorded and presented back to the community using an innovative package of digital media tools video, photography and dialogue mapping, continued Blakester. In this way the findings will be usable by the community for future negotiations with Uralla's key stakeholders. The Local Sustainability Forum will consider: Key strengths and uniqueness of Uralla; Opportunities to make Uralla more sustainable; and, Priorities for action. With the massive changes now taking place for Uralla's local government, community enterprises such as NESS, and sustainability, become an even more pressing and important necessity, added Blakester. Sustainability is fast becoming one of the defining attributes of the New England Region. In just twenty months the amount of grid connected solar power has increased by 500~1,000%. Last year Uralla had one of the highest take up rates in NSW and the NESS Farming the Sun initiative has been a key contributor as well as new new solar businesses in the area. The New England is now a designated 'precinct' for renewable energy. The Forum is open to everyone interested in strengthening the sustainability of Uralla. To RSVP to attend, find our more or discuss this further, please contact Adam Blakester, 6775 2501 | 0419 808 909 adam@paradigmplay.net.

Media Contact | Convenor | Adam Blakester | 02 6775 2501 | 0419 808 900
New England Sustainability Strategy (ness) www.ness.wikidot.com