I've just come across the exciting Sydney City Farm project who are trying to create a green sanctuary to showcase an eco-friendly future in the heart of Sydney at Callan Park in Iron Cove, Rozelle.

The Sydney City Farm vision is for a place where we can come together to grow organic food, learn about the latest in water-saving techniques, climate-friendly renewable technologies.

They hope to achieve this by creating a vibrant centre of learning and community participation through the creation and management of an urban permaculture garden, an organic farm and environmental management showcase, modelled on city farm projects in New York, London and Melbourne.

It is envisaged that the Sydney City Farm will become a key centre for connecting the community and generating the shared accomplishments which build long term neighbourliness and community cohesion. It will be a focal point for strong community involvement and education in sustainable living practices as well as developing cultural, creative and recreational activities and events.

They are holding a public meeting this weekend and I encourage anyone with an interest in this to attend to hear about this visionary plan and show your support:

When: Saturday 12 July - 12pm - 1pm
Where: Sydney College of the Arts lecture theatre, Callan Park, Rozelle.
Google Maps: Click Here

I've attached a copy of the plan below. Click here or on the image to see the full size copy.

Last night I became a committee member of the Alternative Technology Association's local branch: Sydney Central.

The ATA have been doing brilliant work with renewable energy for over 25 years and have amassed a great body of knowledge on alternative technology, particularly renewable energy.

I've been gorging myself on their magazines, books, CD's and large back catalogue for sometime now and have been fairly impressed by what I've learnt. I hope that as a committee member of the Sydney Central branch I can make a positive contribution over the next twelve months.

Yesterday I joined Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and Warringah candidate Conny Harris at the Australian Institute of Police Management at North Head, in Manly.

Over the last few years a number of Burmese police have attended training programs at the Australian Institute of Police Management in Manly.

The training is focused on senior police including the Police Executive Leadership Program and Police Management Development Program.

Kerry Nettle said "It is outrageous that this training has been taking place while the Burmese people suffer at the hands of the police and security forces."

"John Howard has talked up Australia's opposition to Burma while continuing our security and business ties. He has misled the Australian people."

"This has to end. The government and Australian Federal Police must suspend this training program."

I am sure that many Sydneysiders would be shocked, as I was, to learn that Burmese police had been trained right here on our Northern Beaches.

I want a guarantee from the Howard government and the AFP that none of the Burmese police they've trained here were involved in the massacre of monks in Burma.

I also call on Bronwyn Bishop to push for changes within the AFP preventing it from hosting and training members of police forces from non-democratic nations so we no longer aid and abet the suppression and murder of peaceful people.

Australian Institute of Police Management Annual Reports show that a number of police from Burma have been trained there over the last three years. One is believed to be Deputy Director of Myanmar Police, Lt-Col Than Soe.

The Australian Greens Senators have aggregated all their blogs into one grand new location:
Greens Blog
I great read for anyone interested in reading first hand what the Greens MPs are thinking on Federal issues as well as what they contribute to the Australian Parliament.

Today I joined Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and NSW MLC John Kaye outside the Establishment in Sydney where the Liberal Party were holding a $1,200 / head fundraising lunch.

The lunch was hosted by the Minister for Aging, Chris Pyne who recently polled as the most unpopular minister in a very unpopular government - quite an achievement.

Political donations undermine our democracy and raise genuine concerns about exactly who our MP's represent. Do they represent us, the voters or the corporate interests who bankroll their political parties?

Kerry had this to say:

"There is growing public disquiet about the millions of dollars political parties receive to run their election campaigns particularly from tobacco companies.

"The Liberal Party should donate the over $1 million dollars they've received from tobacco companies to cancer research," Senator Nettle said.

"Today's $1200 a head lunch hosted by Christopher Pyne excludes all but the top end of town from gaining access to the Howard Government", Senator Nettle said.

I'd like to see my local Liberal MP, Bronwyn Bishop, demonstrate her commitment to the people of Mackellar by giving her share of those tobacco donations to cancer research.

This weekend I will commence my campaign to “Re-energise Mackellar” by taking renewable energy to the people of Sydney’s northern beaches Mackellar electorate.
By powering common household items, I will be bringing home the practical reality of solar power at Winnermerey Bay on Saturday, from 10-4pm and Avalon Markets on Sunday, from 10-4pm.

I’ll be taking an array of 6 solar panels to public parks, providing an opportunity for people to get hands on experience with solar power. The panels will be running a variety of household electrical goods, such as televisions, water pumps, DVD's, computers and even a Nintendo Wii console.

By taking renewable energy out to the public, I will be demonstrating the viability of renewable energy to the general public and commencing my efforts to re-energise the electorate of Mackellar.

Once people begin to become familiar with renewable energy, they will realise that climate change is not an economic cost but an economic opportunity that this nation cannot afford to miss.

By failing to make renewable energy affordable to the average Australian, Bronwyn Bishop and the Howard government have failed the Australian people by placing their ideological faith in iron-age fuels such as coal and the ironically named "clean coal" before the best advice of our leading scientists and economists who are advocating national investment into renewable energy.

The Greens believe that the transition to renewable energy can provide a jobs-rich era of sustainable economic prosperity. It's an opportunity that we can't afford to miss out on.

More information: Craige McWhirter, 0415958783

Candidate for Mackellar, Craige McWhirter, has called on the major parties to wake up to the seriousness of the housing crisis in Mackellar and the broader Northern Beaches.

Mr McWhirter said, “Safe, affordable housing is a right not a privilege.

“The coalition has consistently ignored this problem. Now after the latest of many housing summits, forums and inquiries Labor has not produced an adequate plan to address this.

“Nearly 2 out of 5 renters pay more than 30% of their income in rent. For these people home ownership is simply out of their reach and they are forced to struggle with high rent.

What the rental market needs is a program of subsides and tax incentives designed to increase the supply of affordable housing for low and middle income earners.

The coalition’s obsession with freeing up land for development on the outer urban fringes does nothing to solve this problem. People need to live a reasonable distance from their workplace. Many people spend 3 hours or more travelling to and from work each day and it places a massive strain on families.

Labor’s response has been to create a new Ministerial position and to further monitor the crisis. This is a totally insufficient response and proves Labor is all talk on the big issues.

“We cannot underestimate the hardship this places on people. Quality of life for many Australians in this situation is severely compromised. There is a whole generation of Young Australians who will never be able to afford their own home.”

I challenge the member for Mackellar, Bronwyn Bishop, to commit to a 10% minimum set aside for affordable housing on all new developments.

The Greens are committed to action on housing. It will be a high priority for our Mackellar election campaign.

More information: Craige McWhirter, 0415958783

The Northern Beaches Greens recently nominated myself as their candidate for Mackellar at this year's Federal Election. I'm well known to the Northern Beaches community through my previous State campaign, my lifelong commitment to Surf Life Saving, and my involvement in many community groups. I'm an IT professional who has lived on the Northern Beaches for 35 years.

I am standing to give people in Mackellar a real alternative and an opportunity to vote for a party that has a clear vision for the future.

I am passionate about the problem of climate change. People are ready to make the transition to a more sustainable economy, but the major parties are dragging their feet. I'm keen to provide the leadership we need to make real cuts in our greenhouse gas emissions.

I will also be campaigning vigorously for public education, health and other essential services. I will fight to preserve the natural environment, especially our precious old growth forests, and I will work to protect the rights of vulnerable members of our society.

I look forward to representing The Greens again, and to working closely with Senator Kerry Nettle, who will be seeking re-election this year.

For more information phone me on 0415958783

While my election campaign finished officially on March 24th, the results were not finalised and the polls closed til last Wednesday, April 4th. The results for my both myself as the candidate and the Greens as a whole was a pleasing success.

In my seat of Pittwater, we polled 10% of the MLA (lower house) vote and secured third place. While this is a 4% drop on our vote in the previous NSW State election four years ago, it is a 3.5% increase since the by-election in this seat, held 18 months ago. In both the by-election and this election, we faced a popular independent and the Liberal party in a normally safe Liberal seat. To regain 3.5% of the vote in a situation that was essentially a mirror of the by-election was a solid result.

The focus on the MLA result though hides the real success of the campaign. In Pittwater, we secured 18% of the MLC (upper house) vote. We polled second only to the Liberal in the upper house. This amounts to nearly one in five people in my seat voting for the Greens. Certainly something to smile about.

In Pittwater we also out polled the Labor Party in both the upper and lower house polls.

Statewide, we got a fourth Greens MP into the MLC.

I'll admit I'm fairly happy with the results :)

I've modified the appearance of my van as the election campaign steps up a gear:

While not as inconspicuous as it was a mere couple of days ago, it's very efficient form of advertising.