Sustainable Neighbourhood News and Events
Waste to Art 2021
Waste to Art 2021 is now showing at Lake Mac Libraries Launchpad spaces in Charlestown, Swansea and Toronto.
Waste to Art confronts us to think about the everyday items around us, what they are made from and their purpose. We see the value of materials that would otherwise end up in landfill or littering our waterways and landscapes.
Find out more.
Waste to Art 2021 is now showing at Lake Mac Libraries Launchpad spaces in Charlestown, Swansea and Toronto.
Waste to Art confronts us to think about the everyday items around us, what they are made from and their purpose. We see the value of materials that would otherwise end up in landfill or littering our waterways and landscapes.
Find out more.
Awards presentation
Please join us for the 2021 Sustainable Neighbourhoods Waste to Art Awards presentation, Saturday 4 December.
We will be presenting the Peoples’ Choice Awards, and hearing from some of our artists about their work and process.
For all the info and to RSVP, visit events.humanitix.com/waste-to-art-awards-presentation.
Please join us for the 2021 Sustainable Neighbourhoods Waste to Art Awards presentation, Saturday 4 December.
We will be presenting the Peoples’ Choice Awards, and hearing from some of our artists about their work and process.
For all the info and to RSVP, visit events.humanitix.com/waste-to-art-awards-presentation.
Celebrate with us!
Join Sustainable Neighbourhood volunteers for a relaxed picnic in Blackalls Park to celebrate our achievements in another challenging year. Let's take the opportunity to get together face to face, and reflect on our wonderful community connections and ongoing progress towards a sustainable city.
Bring a picnic lunch, your fold up chair and picnic blanket, and your favourite picnic games to enjoy with Sustainable Neighbours from around the city.
Sunday 5 December, 11.30am
Blackalls Park
RSVPs essential at events.humanitix.com/celebrate-sustainable-neighbourhoods.
Join Sustainable Neighbourhood volunteers for a relaxed picnic in Blackalls Park to celebrate our achievements in another challenging year. Let's take the opportunity to get together face to face, and reflect on our wonderful community connections and ongoing progress towards a sustainable city.
Bring a picnic lunch, your fold up chair and picnic blanket, and your favourite picnic games to enjoy with Sustainable Neighbours from around the city.
Sunday 5 December, 11.30am
Blackalls Park
RSVPs essential at events.humanitix.com/celebrate-sustainable-neighbourhoods.
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Valentine Community Gathering
Come and meet your neighbours, and help us identify local project ideas to inspire and guide our community across a range of sustainability topics. Tuesday 23 November Find out more. |
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Help us celebrate a decade of Sustainable Neighbourhoods!
July 2021 marks the tenth anniversary of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance and our work to create a more sustainable Lake Macquarie City. Come along to one of our upcoming events to join in the celebrations. |
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MOTHERLOAD
Online screening and panel discussion Your couch 19/20 October and 21 October, 7pm Join Greater Charlestown Sustainable Neighbourhood Group’s online screening of MOTHERLOAD, and follow up panel discussion. Find out more. |
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Annual Report 2021
We are pleased to present the Sustainable Neighbourhoods Annual Report for the 2019-2020 financial year. Find out more. 
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Save the date
Annual General Meeting You're invited to the AGM and SGM of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance, Tuesday 16 November, 6pm. Find out more. 
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Celebrate National Tree Day
We teamed up with local Landcare groups to celebrate National Tree Day, with a series of events across Lake Macquarie City. We enjoyed a series of fun events with friendly volunteers, to help increase tree cover and improve our natural areas for people, wildlife and the planet. Find out more. |
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Sustainable Neighbourhood News
Subscribe to our monthly e-news to get the latest update direct to your inbox. Subscribe here. 
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Cake, conversation, and a Circular Economy
We learned about developing a circular economy in Lake Macquarie at our networking event on 12 June. Find out more. 
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Cardiff Pollinator Corridor Project aims to create a local habitat corridor for pollinators and small birds. Participants are supported to Spare a Square of their property to grow and maintain some pollinator attracting plants. Find out more.
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Frog pond and pollinator workshop
Learn how to build an inexpensive frog pond in your own backyard. Sunday 23 May, 10am-1pm Find out more. 
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Native plant giveaway, 29 May
Find out how you can become a part of the Cardiff Pollinator Project, and receive some local native plants for your garden. Find out more. 
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How's your governance going?
Good governance is essential to ensure transparency and give the whole community an opportunity to engage with your group. Here's a quick check for your group. 
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Boomerang Bags are back in 2021!
Join in monthly Boomerang Bags sewing workshops in 2021. Enjoy a friendly, social sewing bee, making reusable shopping bags, produce bags and more from donated fabric on the last Sunday of the month. Find out more. 
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ReLeaf Lake Mac
Help increase tree canopy cover and green spaces across Lake Macquarie. Head over to ReLeaf Lake Mac and tell us your stories of bush champions, favourite trees, green spaces and community gardens! 
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Dudley Mural
Here's Susan and Indra from the Dudley Sustainable Neighbourhood Group, talking about the amazing mural they and the team created - What a great community asset!
Here's Susan and Indra from the Dudley Sustainable Neighbourhood Group, talking about the amazing mural they and the team created - What a great community asset!
Volunteer with us
Are you looking for a way to contribute to a better future? Make 2021 your year to volunteer!
Find out more about current volunteer opportunities.
Are you looking for a way to contribute to a better future? Make 2021 your year to volunteer!
Find out more about current volunteer opportunities.
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Waste to Art Coordinator
Combine your passion for sustainability and art to help deliver the 2021 Waste to Art project. This volunteer role offers practical experience in all aspects of project management, arts administration, event management and marketing. Find out more. 
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Help us tell our story
Can you take photos or videos at our events? Develop your experience and portfolio for an emerging career in commercial photography, or just send in some snaps from your smart phone. Find out more. 
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Help us organise
Do you thrive on organisation and record-keeping? Join a friendly team, and help your local Sustainable Neighbourhood group record and communicate their decisions and upcoming events. Find out more. 
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Plastic free cafes
How is your local cafe transitioning away from single use plastics? Find out where you can get a discount for bringing your own cup in Lake Macquarie, and how you can help your local cafe make the switch. Find out more. 
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Plastic free profile
Learn how this local business is reducing their use of single use plastics. Find out more. |
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Covid-19 updates
We are encouraging everyone in the community to take a measured and precautionary approach to prevent and slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus. For all Sustainable Neighbourhood events and activities we are regularly checking current health advice and restrictions at www.health.nsw.gov.au, and updating our event planning, risk management and project management protocols accordingly. |
Lake Mac Repair Cafe
Planning is underway for Repair Cafe events in 2021.
Keep up to date with upcoming activities by following the Lake Mac Repair Cafe Facebook page.
Find out more about the project here, or watch the video below, taken at our Repair Cafe event in March 2020.
Planning is underway for Repair Cafe events in 2021.
Keep up to date with upcoming activities by following the Lake Mac Repair Cafe Facebook page.
Find out more about the project here, or watch the video below, taken at our Repair Cafe event in March 2020.
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Pamper Care donations
You can donate personal care items, pantry food or gift cards to share with those in need through the Pamper Care Project. Find out more. 
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Year Planner
We've updated our year planner for 2021. Take a look to see what's coming up and help plan your year. 
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2020 Annual Report
We are pleased to present the Sustainable Neighbourhoods Annual Report for the 2019-2020 financial year. Find out more. 
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Get your hands dirty
Enjoy some good company, and the joy of gardening at a local community garden. We manage community garden projects in Dudley, Redhead, Holmesville and Charlestown. Find out more. 
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Meet our super star volunteers
Meet some of our volunteers, and find out about what being a Sustainable Neighbour can mean. Find out more. 
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Marketing specialist
Looking for a short term project? Gain some practical experience and help us raise the visibility of Sustainable Neighbourhoods. 
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Become a Young Leader
We are looking for enthusiastic people to help us foster a more sustainable Lake Macquarie. Find out more 
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Are you following us?
Have you found our Facebook page yet? Get the latest updates and connect with Sustainable Neighbourhood activities around the city. We are at Sustainable Neighbourhoods Lake Macquarie Find out more. 
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Strategic Plan 2018-2023
Our Strategy details the direction and actions we are taking to ensure we continue to be an effective organisation that is focused on our vision: Neighbourhoods that are empowered to live sustainably. Find out more. 
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Alliance Board meeting minutes
Do you want to keep up to date with decisions and actions of the Alliance Board? The monthly meeting minutes are usually emailed to those interested the day after the meeting. Please let us know if you'd like to join that email list. The approved minutes are also available here. 
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Picnic in the Park
Sustainable Neighbourhood volunteers enjoyed a relaxed picnic in Blackalls Park to celebrate our achievements in a challenging year, and see each other face to face. Find out more. 
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Waste to Art 2020
Discover how our community transformed ‘rubbish’ into beautiful, fun and functional pieces for the 2020 Sustainable Neighbourhoods Waste to Art exhibition. Find out more. 
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Caring for each other and keeping connected
Sustainable Neighbourhoods is fundamentally a strong network of caring community members, which is so valuable in times of uncertainty.
Our members have continued to stay active and connected with each other via online and other means throughout 2020 and beyond.
Sustainable Neighbourhoods is fundamentally a strong network of caring community members, which is so valuable in times of uncertainty.
Our members have continued to stay active and connected with each other via online and other means throughout 2020 and beyond.
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As restrictions have eased and continue to change, we are holding small face to face meetings and events again, with Covid Safe protocols in place.
These lessons from lockdown still remain important.
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Do you know where your cat is?
We have created a brochure to encourage residents to protect our local wildlife and responsibly care for our feline friends. Find out more. 
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Lake Mac Award winners 2020
We are proud as punch to have received two awards recognising the wonderful work of Sustainable Neighbourhood volunteers. Find out more. 
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Celebrate!
We enjoyed a relaxed afternoon catching up with Sustainable Neighbourhood volunteers, and learning about Council's tree Replacement Program at our afternoon tea and celebration event. Find out more. 
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Value our City's trees
We got together for a morning of creative fun back in August to create some homemade signs to encourage appreciation of our City's trees. Find out more. 
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Cake, conversation and Lake Mac's water quality
We learned all about water quality at the June Sustainable Neighbourhood networking event, with the Hunter Community Environment Centre and Council staff. Find out more. 
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Nature Play Forum
The forum in May explored opportunities for school-aged children to experience nature based learning, rich in nature time, movement, culture and community. Find out more. 
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Holmesville garden gatherings
Share the joy of gardening with the friendly crowd at the Holmesville Community Garden, on the first Wednesday and fourth Saturday of every month. Find out more. 
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Plastic free Toronto
Find out how the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group are working to create a Plastic Free Toronto. Find out more. 
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Barks and recreation
We are calling on all dog owners to be mindful of their responsibilities, and have produced a brochure to help clarify and reinforce the rules about dogs in public places. 
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War on Waste toolkit
This excellent toolkit has been created as part of the ABC's War on Waste. Download the toolkit from the ABC website. 
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The psychology of climate change
This resource from the Australian Psychological Society discusses how to help people understand climate change, how to cope with it, and how to get involved in effectively addressing climate change. 
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Social media and website policy
We have updated our website policy to include guidelines for Sustainable Neighbourhood social media pages. Download the updated policy. 
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Community gardens
We are now able to oversee community garden projects that are managed by Sustainable Neighbourhood Groups. 
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Managing grant funding
We've developed a guide for Sustainable Neighbourhood groups about:
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