Fremantle Environmental Resource Network

Gardening Group... Getting dirty in the garden

We will be opening the gates on Sunday mornings for the markets as normal and for our next gardening group from 10am - 12 noon so that you can come and grow organic herbs & vegetables.

Nexus Car Share is an innovative business that started in Fremantle in early 2007.  It provides it's members with access to cars when they need one without all the hassles and costs of owning one.  By paying for only what they need, Nexus members save money and help the environment.  There are Nexus cars through Fremantle, within easy walking or cycling distance from where most FERN members live.

One of the best parts of a car share membership is that you never have to worry about buying, selling, insuring, registering or cleaning a car again.  Nexus looks after all of that and their rates even include all your petrol and carbon offsets.

In the following article, ALP Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke swings her support behind sustainability...

“In my view, climate change stands before us as the great moral, social and economic imperative of our time and the greatest policy challenge of the 21st Century.  As the Labor candidate, I would love to see the Fremantle electorate become a community leader in urban sustainability.

I would like to see our commitment to pursuing both small and large-scale sustainability measures become an even stronger part of the Fremantle identity and so I intend to work as hard as I can to support the community groups, the local councils and schools, the families and many individuals who want to get proactive about water management, grey water re-use, renewable energy and public transport.

[Year 1: 2008]

Site Development:

• Incorporation of sustainable energy technologies into the site’s daily operations to showcase these technologies to the general public
• Straw Bale Wall and Artistic Entrance along North and West property boundaries to reduce road noise and enhance the Montreal Street Sites appeal to the general-public.  FERN will be seeking Lotterywest funding for the cost of materials and supervision in the construction of this wall – the bulk of labour requirements will be sourced from community volunteers through a workshop-type setting (estimated to cost $15,000.00), FERN will conduct this project as a combined community education and arts project.
• Establish a customised wood-fired pizza oven on-site for use by the community to conduct community meals and workshops.  This is to be funded by Lotterywest (estimated installation cost $6,000.00) and will principally be used by FILEF as a hub for community engagement at the Montreal Street.  This facility will help us expand our new food service initiative that follows-on from the successes of FERN’s 2006-2007 ‘Magik Bean Stalk’ community evenings.

The Community Water Grant team have been busy installing water conserving technologies on site--the most notable are the zincalume rainwater tank, and drip irrigation fitted by the busy bee team, to the rejuvenated vege beds. If you would like to know the tips and tricks, register to come along to our remaining Waterwise workshops or drop into the Saturday busy bees and see how its done.