A POTENTUALLY PRODUCTIVE STREET/ART TREE

Tree of 40 Fruit, 2008-Present

Grafted fruit tree including peach, plum, apricot, nectarine, cherry, and almond
Courtesy of the artist and Ronald Feldman Fine Arts

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SOURCE

Is There A Permatecture Way Forward?

There has to be another way ... An election is on the horizon: the electorate is marginal and it is imagined that something can be winkled out of the political candidates in the way of 'Development Dollars'. The trouble is that the cost carried after the election is over and the winning candidate has, say in this case, secured the $6.8 million, then the trouble begins.

The first thing is the depreciation allowance that needs to be provided to maintain and eventually 'upgrade' the community facilities. If a fee is charged to use the space then the complaints roll in by the dozens,hundred or thousands so the depreciation allowance is shuffled to the rates bill and amortised by 30 thousand or so rateable properties. By itself its not a lot of money but the trouble is its not 'all by itself' as its all been done before and again and again and each time something is added to the total rate bill.

 Can the ratepayers always afford to pay for THIS kind of development?

But it doesn't stop there as the 'facility' by itself doesn't generate much of an income of any kind. Nobody is paying levies or rates for it being there and adjoining developments will argue that it doesn't add to their income generating imperative, or add real value to their enterprise,  and thus they cannot afford to pay a premium on their rates. So again, more gets added to the amount amortised over the total rate base.

In fact if the money is won it might just cost another $1 million a year to maintain etc. and it seems this is rarely if ever accounted for in the 'planning process'. There has to be a better way to use these places and in ways that add value  and contribute more than 'something' to the wider community who will pay for it being there. Put another way, the wider community picks up the sustainability cost. 

So what can be done to deliver a sustainability dividend to offset the investment in developing spaces like these to make them into valued places and ensure their sustainability.              

The Newspaper Story

$6.8m sought for river edge project By MATT MALONE The Examiner May 8, 2013

THE Launceston City Council will seek a $6.8 million promise from federal Bass candidates ahead of the September election to redevelop North Bank.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the money would fund the construction of a sound shell and seating for staging concerts and festivals, and a new large playground, picnic and barbecue facilities.

He said the development would see new parklands created and new walking and cycling trails to link to the Kings Wharf area.

Alderman van Zetten said the degraded river edge would be regenerated, a new boardwalk would be built, and invasive weeds removed.

``The proposal would allow us to have a whole sequence of related tourism experiences starting at Cataract Gorge, to Kings Bridge, to Royal Park, the Seaport and to the North Bank area and Kings Wharf,'' Alderman van Zetten said.

``Importantly, it would also link the Inveresk precinct to a redeveloped Willis Street precinct in the future.''

Alderman van Zetten said the council was still working on a master plan for the North Bank precinct to determine how it could be developed as ``a high profile community facility''.

The council has contributed $50,000 so far towards the plan.

The $6.8 million request for North Bank follows a $2 million request to federal candidates to fund scoping works for an Eastern Bypass to remove heavy vehicles from main city roads .... CLICK HERE TO GO TO SOURCE

permatecture, architecture, guerilla gardening, stuart muir wilson, permaculture 

Guerllila Gardening

Re-thinking public land in the city center is the duty of every citizen. The need to have foot paths, car parks and city malls growing food has never been needed more. 

Launceston, and cities like it, must grow its own food for the following reasons:

-Reduce the cost of living for all.

-Enact democracy in public space.

-Make public space functional.

-Equalise public space.

-reduce the carbon footprint of food.

-Create a stronger connection to nature that transcends generations.

It is the duty of every citizen to take ownership of public space in democracy. Authorities that say otherwise are leaning towards totalitarianism. 

The Illegal gardener :) (aka Stuart Muir Wilson)

permatecture, architecture, guerilla gardening, stuart muir wilson, permaculture