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Life Changing Events

By | Published: February 3, 2012

Life Changing EventsKyms new all encompassing Life Changing Events has launched!   http://lifechangingevents.net.au

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Free Cycling Workshops for Kids and Adults

By | Published: June 19, 2011
It time to get back on our bikes…
Kym
Jo Bright is GCCC’s Travel Smart officer & Active Travel are running free GCCC bike education programs. http://www.gcparks.com.au/activities.aspx?page=157

(with events through to Jun 2011)

Perhaps you could get a group together and book into one of the sessions in the new year.

Just on Saturday I took my daughters to one of their kids courses. My 8yr old is very confident but she learned a few new things like looking over the shoulder for cars (instead of relying on me to watch for her!) My 6yr old was not confident stopping and has been too scared to try riding much around home on the hills. But on Saturday being on the flat and in a school situation, the peer group pressure helped push her to overcome her fear and she learnt to brake better. Now she is more confident again and loving it. (And wants the new cruiser bike she saw in the shop on Sunday! :-( )
Iain Cummings
Senior Transport Infrastructure Strategies Officer
for the Chief Executive Officer

Gold Coast City Council
Ph: 5667 3791 Mob: 0414 180 610 Fax: 5667 3808
PO Box 5042 Gold Coast Mail Centre Qld 9729
http://www.goldcoastcity.com.au

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Dynamic Rural Communities / Rural Womens Award

By | Published: April 18, 2011

Source: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/programs/national-rural-issues/dynamic-rural-communities/rural-womens-award.cfm

Rural Women’s Award

The 2011 Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Opens

Applications for the 2011 Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award closed on 15 October 2010.

The Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award celebrates rural women and their contributions to primary industries and rural communities. It gives rural women the chance to discover their leadership strengths and build their capacity to contribute to primary industries and rural Australia.

The Award opens up a positive and powerful network of liked-minded women across the country who are passionate about primary industries and rural Australia.

Read the inspirational stories of the 2010 Australian RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year, Sue Middleton, the Runner-up, Alana Johnson, and the other State and Territory winners and runners-up. Be inspired to apply for the 2011 Awards that will open in August this year.

Click here to see publications on rural women.

Click RWA 2010 State and Territory Winners and Runners-Up.pdf to download brief bios.


RWA 2010 National Winner:
Sue Middleton and Western Australian Winner

High Resolution Picture of Sue Middleton for download courtesy of the Australian Women’s Weekly

 Using waste to generate energy

Sue Middleton believes piggery waste has enormous potential to be used more positively to generate energy. Sue and her husband manage a diverse range of farming operations, including a large citrus orchard and a 5,300 hectare grain enterprise.

She firmly believes that the Rural Women’s Award plays an important role in recognising and encouraging greater contributions from women in rural Australia.

“It’s about recognising women who are stepping up into leadership positions and hopefully giving other women permission to achieve,” Sue says.

She was a member of the inaugural Regional Women’s Advisory Council to advise government on issues impacting on rural women and rural communities, serving on the National Rural Advisory Council responsible for national drought policy and sitting on the Regional Solutions Board.

RWA 2010 National Runner-Up: Alana Johnson and Victorian Winner

High Resolution Picture of Alana Johnson for download courtesy of the Australian Women’s Weekly

 Supporting stronger agriculture through philanthropy

Alana Johnson, believes it’s time to establish a philanthropic foundation for agriculture to enable people to put something back into rural Australia.

“The award gives me a platform for others to recognise the time is right for a philanthropic fund for agriculture,” Alana says.

She was a founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture, past President of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women and she holds the rural portfolio on the Board of the Victorian Women’s Trust. She is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and is currently conducting research for a PhD on the history of the rural women’s movement in Australia.
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Gasland and Lock the Gate Alliance

By | Published: April 17, 2011
Lock The GateGASLAND is Nominated for an Academy Award.
It is a brilliant environmental wake-up call and heartbreaking beyond words.  Our planet is being raped at a record rate FOR MONEY!  We, the people are the ones who have to stop this insane behaviour or there will be no planet left to feed us and our children.
This is a devastating reality our Aborigines have fort forever, they are the true caretakers of our lands, look what we have done to them.
ENOUGH!
It is now our highest priority to stand up for those who can not speak for themselves, this is clearly a planet of unrest, every living thing must have clean air and water to live!
If you want to live a long and nourished life, DON’T MISS IT!
We will be playing it again in the future, so make sure your family and friends are well informed.
Its time to get back out into the streets and support our precious, endangered farmers who have held the flag for us for 100s of years.  Still to this day our Govt and Multi National companies walk all over them..
WELL, NOT ANY MORE !!
Check out the organisation making this all happen LOCK THE GATE!.
This is an invitation to you and all humans out there to join together with our farmers who grow our food and stand up for our god given rights. Destroying our planet resources must stop, city dwellers need to connect with our food and help block Mining companies poisoning our families for MONEY!
Come join us and united we will make a change and take back control of our human right and not be bullied by a selected few, wealthy, greedy, unconscious Govt & Mining Company CEOS.
Check out www.lockthegate.org.au
Look forward to meeting you at our next film night MAY 9th 2011.
www.lifechangingdocos.com
Organic Food & Drinks will be available.
Doors open @ 5.30pm 6.30pm start.
COMING SOON…FOOD INC, ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS, END OF THE LINE and much more…
Warmest Gratitude
Kym Oconnell
0413 672 940
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Sign the petition against Fracking

By | Published: April 17, 2011

Sign the petition

Subject: Coal Seam Gas industry development
Eligibility: Queensland citizens
Sponsoring Member: Howard Hobbs MP
Principal Petitioner: Priscilla Cameron
11 Magdala Street
ASCOT QLD 4007
No. of Signatures: 2545
Posting Date: 24/11/2010
Closing Date: 20/05/2011

Click here to sign the petition »

TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

The petition of citizens of Queensland draws to the attention of the House to the:

  • present and potential impacts the Coal Seam Gas (CSG) industry development is having on water quality, security, inter-aquifer contamination of the GAB, sub-artesian and shallow alluvium aquifers;
  • inadequate management of CSG water and byproducts,
  • disruption to agricultural businesses and culture due to CSG activities;
  • inadequate legislation for ‘make good’ provisions, land access and compensation regimes governing the CSG industry;
  • lack of support being given to our clean green food producers by State and Federal Governments.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to:

  • Immediately implement an independent statutory body to oversee development of strict land and water legislation, based on science, with the objective of ensuring CSG does not adversely affect the environment or other existing water or property rights;
  • ban all hydraulic fracturing and other means of stimulating gas flow until a proper risk analysis of the relevant coal formation and underground aquifers has been undertaken and appropriate supervision and conditioning implemented;
  • Employ additional regional compliance staff to audit all CSG activities as per the existing legislation;
  • Immediately commence maintenance of existing and new infrastructure, affected by the expansion of the CSG industries;
  • Call for the revocation of the Commonwealth Government LNG export licence approvals and immediately enact a moratorium on all future CSG activities until an independent peer-reviewed investigation into the long-term environmental, social and infrastructure consequences of the CSG industry in Queensland is undertaken.

Sign the petition

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Gasland

By | Published: March 29, 2011

Life Changing Documentaries:

Gasland

Join us for the GASLAND. Part vérité travelogue, part exposé, part mystery, part showdown, GasLand is a compelling and emotional first-person story of discovery and, ultimately, empowerment. Fabulous Organic Food and Wine will be available from 5.45pm. After the 6.30pm screening our panel of experts will discuss the issues raised by the film, and field questions from the audience.

Presented By

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Life Changing Docos fuel sustainable living

By | Published: March 16, 2011

A PASSIONATE pair of environmentalists have kick-started a plan to get 300 cars off the road each month on the Gold Coast by encouraging people to cycle to their events.

Kym O’Connell and Troy Jones started screening free monthly films in October 2009 at Organic Revolution to help boost their friend’s business in Burleigh.

The events were so successful, they decided to form Life Changing Docos to inform, entertain and inspire audiences to help others learn how they can live sustainably in a city. Their first event under this banner was at the Gold Coast Arts Centre in February 2010.

Nearly every screening was a full house as people attended to watch fascinating films including Foodmatters, Homegrown, Our Generation, Dirt and Simply Raw – Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days.

“My mantra is to nourish families forever with films, workshops and organic food,” Kym said.

“In the history of the Gold Coast Arts Centre, they had never served organic food until we went there.”

Kym and professional cyclist and Gold Coast City Council Senior Transport Infrastructure Strategies Officer Iain Cummings began a bike run from Burleigh Heads to Bundall for a documentary called Fuel on December 7, 2010.

She said Fuel fuelled her determination to start the bike run as it was just before Christmas when people travelled the most.

“I want 10 friends to bring 10 friends to the first film of the year. It only takes 40 minutes to ride, it’s often faster than driving because there are no traffic lights on the Oceanway and it’s beautiful in the sunset,” Kym said.

“One cluster of riders at a time, we are working with professional cyclists to get the message out there.

“For a hot body and a cool planet, jump on our bike bus every month and ride to the movies.”

A group will be leaving from Tower 18 Burleigh Heads at 5pm on March 21 to ride to Bundall for a 6.30pm start of the Queensland premiere of Force of Nature – the new David Suzuki film screening at The Gold Coast Arts Centre. Plans are in place for a northern run as well leaving from Runaway Bay Sports Centre at the same time.

“The idea behind each film is to encourage our community to live more sustainably by leaving the car at home and riding to the movies with a friend to live a cleaner life by supporting local producers and exercise while traveling to an event,” Kym said

“We’re also encouraging people to get out of the office and into nature, safely traveling with friends while feeling the sea breeze along the new multi-million dollar Gold Coast Oceanway from Coolangatta to the Spit.

“I’d love to wear that road out!”

She said 2010 was a great start for Life Changing Docos and 2011 would be bigger and better as the event moved from the Gold Coast Arts Centre Basement to the Paradise Showroom.

“We have committed to screening at least 10 films over 10 months between March and December,” she said.

“This year we will be bringing environmental films never seen before and much needed education about how we can live more sustainably in the city and live longer, healthier lives.

“We believe this is an important project that has and will continue to make a difference in many lives.”

Force of Nature is an award-winning documentary by David Suzuki – iconic Canadian scientist, educator, broadcaster and activist. He delivers a ‘last lecture’ – what he describes as “a distillation of my life and thoughts, my legacy, what I want to say before I die”.

Organic food and drinks will be available from 5.45pm. After the 6.30pm screening, a panel of experts will discuss the issues raised by the film and field questions from the audience.

These include, among others, Bond University Associate Professor of Sustainable Development Andrew Wilford, Miessence and Organic Farmshare director Alf Orpen and Biological Farmers of Australia general manager Holly Vyner.

MC will be celebrity gardener and sustainable landscape architect Costa from the SBS show Garden Odyssey.

Life Changing Docos will be expanding into Byron Bay, Lismore, Sydney and Melbourne in late 2011 and early 2012.

For more details, call 0413 672 940 or visit www.lifechangingdocos.com

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Green Tip: Limit Dairy Products

By | Published: March 7, 2011
Contrary to a popular ad campaign, milk does not do your body good. Yes, milk contains calcium, but it comes with a price: When you ingest cow’s milk you are also ingesting unhealthy saturated fat, growth hormones, and antibiotics that were given to the cows. Growth hormones contribute to our nations obesity epidemic- especially in children- and the antibiotics in cows milk lower our resistance to antibiotics.
You can get all the calcium you need from dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, brocolli and kale.
Still not convinced? Consider this: Dairy products contain casein, an animal protein that promotes cancer development and growth. Dairy products have been linked to skyrocketing rates of breast cancer and prostate cancer in the United States.
Additionally there is an undeniable correlation between Johne’s disease in cows and Crohn’s disease in humans.
There are some wonderful substitutes for milk that you can drink and use in baking and cooking such as soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk or my personal favorite: rice milk.
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Green Tip: Garden with a Green Thumb

By | Published: March 7, 2011
Americans use approximately 80 million pounds of pesticides in their gardens every year. Like chemical-cleaners, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers pose a threat to you and your loved ones, and the environment in general.
Instead, use compost and plant native plants, which have adapted to the environment and require less water and attention, in your garden. Organic gardening benefits the soil, plants, animals, insects, water and air quality, as well as our own mental and physical health!
And by composting you can recycle your yard and kitchen wastes (even your dinner scraps) to fertilize your own garden. This saves you time and money and helps the environment!
For more green tips  go to http://www.holisticvoice.org.
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Force of Nature – Monday 21st of March @ The Arts Centre Gold Coast @ 6.30pm

By | Published: March 7, 2011

Life Changing Documentaries:

Queensland Premiere of Force of Nature

We are proud to present this special event, the Queensland Premiere of the award winning documentary Force of Nature. We have once again teamed up with The Arts Centre Gold Coast, and are excited to announce that we have a new larger room for this year’s series of documentaries.
David Suzuki, iconic Canadian scientist, educator, broadcaster and activist delivers a ‘last lecture’ — what he describes as “a distillation of my life and thoughts, my legacy, what I want to say before I die”.

The film interweaves the lecture with scenes from the places and events in Suzuki’s life — creating a biography of ideas — forged by the major social, scientific and cultural events of the past 70 years.

Fabulous Organic Food and Wine will be available from 5.45pm. After the 6.30pm screening our panel of experts will discuss the issues raised by the film, and field questions from the audience.

Presented By

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