Dear All
Thank you for starting the conversation, please keep putting the word out about the Blog...we need everyone's ideas and comments (good and bad). As ideas are generated we will try and start listing some of the 'hot' topics so people can see common themes or issues.
Many Thanks Warwick (WAX Design)
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Hey Warwick
ReplyDeleteI put the link to this on my facebook site for a while but........... the Georgetown hotel is a group on facebook (with lots and lots of current and ex Georgetownites in it) perhaps you could ask Max from the hotel to send out a message to all the people in that group to log onto this blog???? just an idea
cheers
Deb Crawford
Hi Warwick
ReplyDeleteI agree with Deb - a good link would be through the Georgetown hotel facebook group
the other thing that I think is really important to try and keep is that sense of ownership of the town and that sense of pride (not sure if I have already said this) but the nicer/tider the town is the more likely it will attract visitors and keep people living there - for example fresh painted gates/signs etc, no graffiti, the hall etc remaining tidey and neat (eg the lawns tide etc), i think that the areas that can be seen from the main street need to be upkept (not sure that is a word) so that Georgetown doesn't look like a town that has been let go. I also think that somehow linking in with the history of georgetown would be a great idea - perhaps the school could do something as part of their cirriculum each year, etc put together posters/a book etc about the history of georgetown - where the name came from, about how it was meant to be a leading railway town, interviewing elderly residents, rural youth, the old football colours, wooly wooly wacka, georgetown and yacka song (ask around about that guys, I love it!!!) etc etc and that could then be displayed in shop for a month or so each year, eventually we may get lots of info about the history of georgetown that is getting lost as the elderly are passing on. these are the things that make Georgetown the special place that it is. It is amazing, I no longer live in georgetown but still call it home and you would not beleive the amount of people I meet who also have links to georgetown in some way.
ReplyDeleteperhaps even a georgetown facebook group?????
ok thats me done for now
cheers
Deb
oh - one more thing. As someone with an elderly resident living in Georgetown (she will hate me saying this) perhaps a couple of benches on the footpaths would be good. Grandma still walks to get her mail and grocerys each day (to try and keep a little active) and while she does great I am sure that in the future a bench or two to rest on may be useful - I reckon other elderly residents would appreciate that as well. And of course that leads me onto the footpaths which are cracked and disgustingly unsafe - need I say more????????????
ReplyDeleteOk....without consideration for limiting factors these are some of the ideas I would like to see implemented in Georgetown.
ReplyDeleteAs the world's ecological & economic future is looking increasingly bleak I think it would be wise to make Georgetown more self sufficient. Georgetown could become a model for sustainable transition. This could become a marketing angle for promoting Georgetown to visitors also.
Community plantings of food producing tree crops & woodlots on public land & road verges would be a good start. These could be harvested as a community event with a harvest festival evolved around it. Some of the proceeds generated from the sale of produce & value added products could be used to employ someone to do some of the maintainence such as supplimentary watering whilst trees are establishing, pruning, wood harvesting etc which would be necessary.
A local exchange trading scheme (LETS) system established with a local currency which could be used for purchasing community produce. Everybody in this community has skills and/or surplus resources to contribute which is another way in which this community could become more self sufficient.
When the new CFS shed is constructed, the old shed could be retrofitted into a communal accredited kitchen where local produce could be processed into value added products such as dried fruits, baked goods etc. The space could be hired with the local currency and products sold as a combination of cash (just enough to cover the costs) + local currency and for cash in outlets beyond this township (and to visitors). All products can be branded with a distinct Georgetown logo (to be developed). I think this would really develop a greater sense of community.
Maximise the catchment and storage of rainwater into dams such as the already existing dam at the oval as well as appropriately located storages elsewhere. The water harvesting system should include swales along the roadsides. This system could help with the flood mitigation issues which occur periodically and be a source of water for maintaining the above mentioned crops.
To go yet another step towards greater self sufficiency, a community owned power station could established with renewable energy being collected from solar panels on all the town buildings as well as a wind turbine or two. Surplus power could be sold back to the grid. I realise this idea is taking it right out there but it was suggested 'no idea too big or small.'
A 'hang out' space for the town kids to get together in a safe environment would be great. Perhaps a regular 'kids club' time with creative, constructive & fun activities being held. Something similar for adults to socialise which is not oriented around sports, alcohol or churches. Perhaps a regular art/craft morning, cooking group or games. A gardening group which work at each other's gardens in a revolving roster.....these are a few ideas for creating a greater sense of community and people socialising more.
Georgetown's history is interesting and significant. Plaques by people's homes and public buildings with a bit of the history of that building would make a walk around the town really interesting. Walking around the township and looking at the old buildings is one of the things I recomment to visitors to do. A BBQ at the playground is good to visit also. A few significant pieces of artwork on the main road may serve to get people to stop and have a look around. Sculptures & murals.
Well, there's a few of the things I've been thinking about. Maybe I'll come up with some other ideas before the meeting to add here or elsewhere. I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes up.
A further thought I had regarding the planting of productive trees.....what about becoming a 'carbon credit town'. Maybe it's a 'first' thing we could become and make it a focal point for marketing the town to visitors.
ReplyDeleteIf the public land within the town area, including road verges, are planted with appropriately selected trees as part of a carbon credit scheme some amount of income from outside of the community could be generated. After initial establishment, it would be a fairly passive residual income which could be used for a variety of other community developments.
There could also be products obtainable from the plantings such as: mulch & small(ish) firewood from prunings, honey, seed, bush tucka etc. These things could be by products of the plantings without diminishing the value of it as a carbon sink or conservation of species.
Perhaps there would be funding or resource availability for a carbon credit project through Trees For Life and/or the Northern Areas Environment & Heritage Board (or whatever they're called). Even the wind farm mob might assist such a project.