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Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party |
Four issues set an upbeat tone for our community last week: SmartGrowth Review (growth management in the Bay), March against Monsanto (threats to our food by genetic engineering and agrichemicals), celebrating the new Welcome Bay Community Centre, and sustainable business practice.
An exciting development in the revised SmartGrowth (SG) proposal is that the environment will be given a proper consultative voice for the first time. Since 2004, the SG folk have regularly consulted with economic forces (such as the Chamber of Commerce), community representation (such as older folk) and cultural interests (iwi). The fourth pillar of SG, the environment, has been consistently ignored during that consultative process. Kia kaha to that improvement.
Fantastic that about 150 people turned out on Saturday May 25 to protest the increasing dependence of agriculture on agri-chemicals, and the direct threats to food quality of genetic engineering. This protest was part of a global movement, with demonstrations in many countries on the same day. Monsanto was targeted as a symbol of an industry that aims ultimately to control all stages of the food production process.
The Welcome Bay Community Centre has struggled through difficult times, and continues to need support from the community it serves. However, it has fantastic new premises provided by Tauranga City Council, and is now much better placed to support local community action and resilience.
Green MP David Clendon was in town as part of a national tour challenging small businesses to be more sustainable. At a workshop attended by about 30 people, local companies Trevelyan Pack and Cool and Isthmus Landscape Architects showed just why they are award-winning organisations for sustainable business practice.
Great things are happening in our community, and are worth celebrating and supporting.
Ian McLean is a spokesperson for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. He can be contacted by calling 021 547556 or 07 5794670 or emailing ian.mclean@greens.org.nz