Here’s an update from Anjea Travers of the Charles Darwin University Talloires Student Group, coordinators of the new community garden at CDU.
A quick update on the last meeting held 20/07/09:
· Attendance. Approximately twenty five folk attended to discuss the next stages of the gardens planning and management.
· Discussion. A quick update on the garden was followed by discussion on what people see as the main issues, obstacles, possible working groups, decision making processes and how to progress from the visioning day.
· Working groups. It was decided that in order for working groups to be able to get going, we had to decide on a set of shared principles and ethics by which the garden operates. It was discussed that this would need to be available for comment by all those interested in the garden – even if they were unable to attend the meeting.
· Decision making. The process of consensus decision making was discussed and Roger facilitated a mock trial of how this may work, the group decided to trial this method of decision making and to find out more about how to participate in and facilitate this process. (The Change Agency website has information on this process.)
· Grant application. The group agreed to apply for funding for a shade structure so that meetings/workshops can be held on site.
· Principles and Ethics. The group agreed the principles and ethics discussion and decisions needed a two hour meeting – to be held August 10th, 5:30-7:30pm at the Alawa Hall.
· Next meeting. It was also agreed that in order for the principles and ethics meeting to be effective and productive – a smaller working group meeting would be held prior (on July 27th) to draw some conclusions from the Visioning Day exercise and essentially plan the bigger meeting.
So that’s two new ways to be involved in this exciting project:
NEXT MEETING – Monday 27th July 5:30 – 7:00pm, for those interested in drawing themes from the Visioning Day hot potato exercise and planning the ‘Principles and Ethics’ meeting on August 10th. An agenda for this Monday night’s meeting is attached – we will discuss this agenda at the beginning of the meeting and affirm the priorities and time limits on items for discussion. Ian has agreed to facilitate the meeting and Dave will co-facilitate. Is anyone interested in being the minute taker/scribe for this meeting? We will discuss more about roles that need to be filled on the night. Thanks to Ian, Dave & Roger for assisting with this Monday night’s agenda.
FOLLOWING MEETING – Monday 10th August 5:30 – 7:30pm, for those who would like to be a part of the decision making group that sets the principles and ethics by which the garden operates. An agenda will be sent out after 27/07/09 meeting.
