If you have a little extra time that you would like to spend in the sunshine. We’re looking for someone to take on coordinating our working bees.
7 hrs per week volunteer, fulfills mutual obligation requirements.
Author Archives: admin
2024 Garden Roadmap
A list of the things we are all interested in accomplishing this year. If there is anything you would like to add, please mention it to the coordinator to add here.
Women’s / Medicine garden
Location TBA, speak to Baz or Ali for detials
- chamomile
- aloe vera
- lavender
- raspberry leaf
- elder flower (pot)
- holy basil
- lemon balm
- mullein
- eccinacea
Finish sheet mulching and path
Keep extending the mulched area to eradicate couch grass and weeds from the garden. Mark out and extend the granite path.
Chickens
Finish enclosing the roof of the chicken coop and assemble the automatic door .
- drill set
- fence clips
- wire cutter
Crocodile Pond
Weed the pond area and surrounds. Store the stones in pots. Make 2-3 lowest-point container ponds covered with galvanized mesh. Seal extended watershed area with kitty litter or gley. Speak to Maria about this.
Grow stuff for the harbour blockade
Plant out herbs or veggies in time for the peoples blockade in November
Remove Rubbish and hazards
Self explanitory… but we could do with some self haul vouchers if anyone can spare one, apply here.
Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.
Joanna Macy
Things to do in August
Some projects you can get stuck into at the working bee or any other time, if you’re looking for inspiration.
Erect dragon fruit stand
This will need some spanners and a drill set. The bolts are just inside the shed on the plastic drawers.
Prune Citrus Trees
Secateurs required (2 sets in shed). If you have experience pruning trees, or you are willing to do some research or shadow someone who knows how, there are plenty of citrus in need of a prune as winter ends. These can also be weeded in preparation for composting an mulching.
Complete the sand pit
The sand pit just needs the last two edges attached to it. This will require:
- A saw
- Drill set
- Some decking screws
Organise the seed library
There is a new little cabinet in the shed for seeds, feel free to come up with some sort of organisational system for the seeds! May require some pens, cards or ziplock bags.
The Yooge
There are also all the regular jobs listed here.
Proposed Constitution Changes 2023 Part 2
These changes re-assign the responsibility of calling meetings to the secretary.
22 Full community meetings
22 Full community meetings
(1) The secretary shall convene general meetings (described as full community meetings) of the association:
(a) at least once each calendar year, and
(b) within the period of 6 months after the expiration of each financial year of the association, and
(c) at any other time determined by the general-circle.
23 Special full community meetings
23 Special full community meetings
(1) The secretary must convene a special full community meeting of the association on the requisition in writing of not less than 5% of the total number of members.
24 Notice
24 Notice
(1) Except if the nature of the business proposed to be dealt with at a meeting requires a special resolution of the association, the secretary must, at least 14 days before the date fixed for the holding of the full community meeting, give a notice to each member specifying the place, date and time of the meeting and the nature of the business proposed to be transacted at the meeting.
(2) If the nature of the business proposed to be dealt with at a full community meeting requires a special resolution of the association, the secretary must, at least 21 days before the date fixed for the holding of the full community meeting, cause notice to be given to each member specifying, in addition to the matter required under subclause (1), the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution.
31 Adjournment
31 Adjournment
(2) If a full community meeting is adjourned for 14 days or more, the secretary must give written or oral notice of the adjourned meeting to each member of the association stating the place, date and time of the meeting and the nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting.Please note that these changes would need to be approved by the appropriate percentage of your organization’s membership, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the existing constitution.
The Cool Times
Things to do in April – May
There’s always our humble everyday jobs, but aside from that, here’s a bunch of stuff we can you can get busy with, if you need ideas:
April Seedlings
These are the seedlings to lookout for and plant in April: Amaranth, dwarf beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chives, collards, coriander, dill, endive, Florence fennel, horseradish, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, oregano, pak choy, parsley, peas, rutabaga, snow peas, spring onions, strawberries, and sunflower.
April Seeds
beetroot, broad beans, burdock, carrot, chives, coriander, daikon, dill, endive, Florence fennel, kale, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, pak choy, parsley, peas, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onions, and turnip.
May Seedlings
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, garlic, oregano, potato, rutabaga, spring onions, strawberries, beetroot, broad beans, chives, collards, coriander, dill, endive, Florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, parsley, peas, silverbeet, snow peas, and spinach.
May Seeds
Burdock, carrot, radish, rocket, shallots, turnip, beetroot, broad beans, chives, collards, coriander, dill, endive, Florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, parsley, peas, silverbeet, snow peas, and spinach.
Dragon fruit trellis
We have a mature dragon fruit plant (donated by Joe Lin) which we need to make a trellis for. This can be done with hardwood, with a cemented footing. And should look something like this:
Tools:
- Measuring tape
- Pencil or marker
- Carpenter’s square
- Circular saw or handsaw
- Power drill with drill bits
- Wood chisel (optional)
- Hammer or mallet
- Level
- Wood clamps (optional)
- Work gloves
- Safety goggles
- Ladder (if needed)
Hardware:
- Hardwood lumber (e.g., cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated pine) in appropriate lengths and dimensions for posts, crossbeams, and slats
- Galvanized or stainless steel screws or nails (to prevent rust and corrosion)
- Wood glue (optional, for added strength)
- Metal brackets or corner braces (optional, for additional support)
- Concrete mix (for setting posts in the ground, if needed)
- Plastic or rubber-coated wire mesh or trellis netting (to support the dragonfruit plants as they grow)
Extend the sheet mulching
To further the progress on our food forest, we need to continue the sheet mulching and couch grass removal. This means checking the annual cropping area for any re-growth and pushing the boundaries of the sheet mulch, starting at the point where there is no grass (this means there is no grass inside the areas that are already mulched.
Make a shade structure
Like this, also with steel concreted footings.
This is to go in the south of the chicken area for seedling tables. Most of the timber is in the chicken area. Shade sail to go on top.
Proposed Constitution Changes 2023 Part 1
These changes clarify the “full community meeting” definition and change membership pricing.
1 Definitions
Add the definition of the full community meeting
(1) In this constitution:
full community meeting means: like an AGM in other organisations, an annual meeting for all association members.
8 Fees and subscriptions
(1) A member of the association must pay to the association an annual membership fee of $5 or, if some other amount is determined by the general-circle, that other amount: $1 minimum or a donation to be determined by the member.
Check the necessity of the following paragraphs! (a) & (b)
(a) except as provided by paragraph (b), before the first day of the financial year of the association in each calendar year, or
(b) if the member becomes a member on or after the first day of the financial year of the association in any calendar year—on becoming a member and before the first day of the financial year of the association in each succeeding calendar year.
15 Election of general-circle members
Change from digital dictation to witnessed dictation
(a) must be made in writing, signed by 2 members of the association and accompanied by the written consent of the candidate (which may be endorsed on the form of the nomination), a hand written or witnessed dictation of the role description and
The following changes all relate to the removal of president role
14 Composition and membership of general-circle
President and vice president removed, total general circle number
(1) The general-circle is to consist of:
(a) the office-bearers of the association, and
(b) at least 3 and up to 5 ordinary general-circle members,
each of whom is to be elected at the annual full community meeting of the association under clause 15.
Note. Section 28 of the Act contains further requirements concerning eligibility for membership and composition of the general-circle.
(2) The total number of general-circle members is to be 7.
(3) The office-bearers of the association are as follows:
(a) the treasurer,
(b) the secretary.
(4) A general-circle member may hold up to 2 offices (other than both the offices of president and vice-president).
(5)(4) There is no maximum number of consecutive terms for which a general-circle member may hold office.
16 SECRETARY
(5) Convene general circle meetings
19 Removal of general-circle members
(2) If a member of the general-circle to whom a proposed resolution referred to in subclause (1) relates makes representations in writing to the secretary or president (not exceeding a reasonable length) and requests that the representations be notified to the members of the association, the secretary or the president may send a copy of the representations to each member of the association or, if the representations are not so sent, the member is entitled to require that the representations be read out at the meeting at which the resolution is considered.
20 general-circle meetings and quorum
(1) The general-circle must meet at least 3 times in each period of 12 months at the place and time that the general-circle may determine.
(2) Additional meetings of the general-circle may be convened by the president the secretary or by any member of the general-circle.
(3) Oral or written notice of a meeting of the general-circle must be given by the secretary to each member of the general-circle at least 48 hours (or any other period that may be unanimously agreed on by the members of the general-circle) before the time appointed for the holding of the meeting.
(4) Notice of a meeting given under subclause (3) must specify the general nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting and no business other than that business is to be transacted at the meeting, except business which the general-circle members present at the meeting unanimously agree to treat as urgent business.
(5) Any 3 members of the general-circle constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of a meeting of the general-circle.
(6) No business is to be transacted by the general-circle unless a quorum is present and if, within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting is to stand adjourned to the same place and at the same hour of the same day in the following week.
(7) If at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting is to be dissolved.
(8) At a meeting of the general-circle:
(a) the president or, in the president’s absence, the vice-president is to preside, or
(b) if the president and the vice-president are absent or unwilling to act, one of the remaining members of the general-circle chosen by the members present at the meeting is to preside.
30 Presiding member
(1) The president or, in the president’s absence, the vice-president, is to preside as chairperson at each full community meeting of the association
(2) If the president and the vice-president are absent or unwilling to act, the members present must elect one of their number to preside as chairperson at the meeting.
Things to do in August
Seeds to and seedlings to plant directly
Seed climbing beans, dwarf beans, cape gooseberry. Seedlings to plant out include: coriander, beetroot, sunflower,
Plant in punnets
These things do best when planted in punnets or trays… growing things from seed requires a lot of attention so if you’re new, you’re jumping in the deep end here, but you can plant things like beetroot, capsicum, carrots, celery, chilies, chives, coriander, cucumber, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, luffa, potato, pumpkin, silver-beet, zucchini.
Chicken house upgrade
We need to build some laying boxes and perches in the existing chicken shed. The needs to accommodate more chickens (somewhere between 7 and 30).
https://vjppoultry.com/2018/06/06/building-a-coop-for-silkie-chickens/
June Working Bee Plan
Come and join in for some gardening on Sunday 4th June at 9am.
Any of the empty crop circles can be composted and replanted out with the following.
- Cabbage – plant seedlings
- Garlic – plant cloves
- Lettuce, beetroot, onion – plant out seeds or seedlings
- Radish, Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas) – sow seeds
Let us know if you can source some seeds or seedlings.
Concrete extravaganza
We need to concrete in some posts for
- bocce fence
- chicken gate
- dragon fruit stands
Mucho Mulch Moving
We have a bunch of mulch and a bunch of cardboard, so we can get busy sheet mulching!
