Organisation Archives | Yandina Community Gardens

Are you passionate about Sustainability? Are you our new Project Officer?

03/02/2020 By

Are you passionate about sustainability? Are you good at working with people? Do you enjoy problem solving? Delivering projects? Able to work autonomously and are self-motivated? And most importantly do you want to make a positive difference to your community?

Then here’s an exciting opportunity for you! The Yandina Community Gardens (YCG) is looking for an energetic and experienced person for a project officer role. YCG has received funding to implement a Food Waste Diversion pilot project in the town of Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. The project is for 12 months and you will be required to collaborate with approximately 20 businesses to divert their food waste. The role will be approximately 10hrs per week.

Why is this such an important project?

•If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after USA and China.

•Eliminating global food waste would save 4.4 million tonnes of C02 a year, the equivalent of taking one in four cars off the road.

•The Government estimates food waste costs the Australian economy $20 billion each year.

•Over 5 million tonnes of food ends up as landfill, enough to fill 9,000 Olympic sized swimming pools.

The project officer will work with YCG’s management committee and will need to develop and implement a system for business food waste collection and measuring. You will be involved in processing the food waste at the Yandina Community Gardens using a combination of vermiculture, black soldier fly larvae and composting.

Your experience in project implementation and evaluation will be very important for this pilot project.

Required skills / knowledge:

•tertiary qualifications and/or experience in environmental science, permaculture or related discipline.
•experience in planning, implementing and evaluating community projects.
•experience in composting and or worm farming.
•experience in community engagement and developing partnerships with stakeholders
•excellent communication and networking skills
•an understanding of environmental sustainability principles.
•Ability to perform moderate physical work, lifting will be required

If this sounds like a role for you, please send your application, addressing the required skills / knowledge to info@yandinacommunitygardens.com.au we look forward to hearing from you!

Applications close 14th February 2020.

Are you our next Treasurer? Would you like to be part of our Management Committee?

16/01/2020 By

We are looking for an experienced treasurer to join our Management committee, if you have experience in accountancy or finances, are well organised and you are willing to donate your time to our Volunteer based organization, you could be our next treasurer. If you want to join a group of like minded individuals who are passionate about Permaculture and want to continue the legacy of Yandina Community gardens for another 20 years and make a real difference in our Communities then please get in touch.

You will be required to be a current paid member of YCG to nominate yourself.

If you’d like to find out more or apply for the role please contact Donna at secretary@yandinacommunitygardens.com.au

A little about the role:

The Treasurer is responsible for the financial supervision of the organisation to allow the committee to provide good governance. The Treasurer is the chief financial management officer whose tasks include the preparation of annual budgets, planning for the organisations financial future and monitoring the organisations revenue and expenditure. It is desirable that the treasurer is well organized and possesses a level of financial expertise.

Desirable Attributes

• Good organisational skills
• Has some financial expertise
• Ability to maintain accurate records
• Honest/trustworthy
• Good communication skills

Legal Duties

The following legal duties apply to all members of an Incorporated Association Board
• the duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the organisation and for a proper purpose
• the duty to act with reasonable care, skill and diligence (including the duty to prevent insolvent trading)
• the duty not to improperly use information or position, and
• the duty to disclose and manage conflicts of interest.

Specific duties include but are not limited to

Upholding and acting in the spirit and intent of the YCG Code of Conduct
• Provide advice to the committee in their management of the organisation finances
• Administer all financial affairs of the organisation
• Lead the annual budget process and ensure an appropriate annual budget is provided to the committee for approval
• Ensure development and committee review of financial systems, policies and procedures
• Support any required auditing processes
• Ensure all controls are in place for incoming and outgoing monies
• Ensure accurate records are maintained of all income and expenditure
• Ensure that all receipts and payments concur with bank deposits and withdrawals
• Be a signatory on committee account

Yandina Community Gardens Outreach program with Lissa Evans

16/12/2019 By

Yandina Community Gardens Outreach program with Lissa Evans,

Working with Nambour Community Centre & Deadly Espresso in Eumundi

I’ve been working each week at YCG for over 4 years and I felt the desire to share what we know and practice with other nearby communities, particularly with people struggling to live in our current paradigm of fast and processed food.

A group from Nambour Community Centre came with Ana Greenfield, Community Development & Cultural Connections Program to a YCG Garden Tour. They were such an inspirational group – excited by what we were doing, keen to learn and had so much of their own knowledge to share.

I decided to offer a workshop on planning, planting and preparing permaculture food as a way of exploring these ideas further. The first session was held at YCG and after a short discussion we harvested from the garden and prepared a delicious, simple, healthy lunch which was enjoyed by all. A few weeks later I ran another session at the Nambour Community Centre. From this developed the idea of a regular gardening group at NCC harnessing Ana’s passion and enthusiasm to develop the existing garden and involve anyone who was interested. This has been happening each Monday 9-10 am for the past two months.

I was also aware that Deadly Expresso, run by the amazing Terri Waller, Sevgen, was also creating a garden. Apart from pot plants around the cafe Terri had been offered access to the sloping land behind the cafe and with assistance from Pete, had found many native trees to plant. My husband, Dave helped with cutting furrows on contour. We lined these above with branches to slow down water flow and encourage soil development along the contour, ultimately feeding the plants below. Once the heat passes, we’ll look at developing the “vege patch” further with the compost we’re making, weed teas and cover crops.

Both sites are seeking donations of cardboard, grass clippings, 40 l barrels, worm farms/bathtubs, woodchips and potting mix. If you have any of these items to donate, or you’re wishing to help in some way please contact Lissa 54467373

Meet the New Management Committee

26/09/2019 By

The Yandina community gardens are run by a management committee. Committee members are elected annually by the members of the organisation.

The 2019/2020 committee members are:

From left: Jono, Donna, Colleen, Robyn, Gayle, Rob and Made

Jonathon (Jono) Holford
Growing up in South East Asia exposed me to a multitude of cultures and practices at a young age. I have always had an appreciation for different landscapes and climates. Returned home to complete a double degree in business economics and commercial law in Melbourne. Since moving up to the Sunshine Coast I have a new found passion for waste management, particularly dealing with organic waste streams.
I have taken a particular focus on vermiculture and Black Soldier Fly farms. I have only been at YCG since October 2018 and have enjoyed learning from a wide range of skilled members who give their time and energy to the gardens.

Donna Morawiak (Secretary)
Grew up in a small country town in the UK surrounded by the traditional English vegetable garden with turkeys and ducks as childhood pets. After studying ceramics in college moved to Shigaraki, Japan to learn traditional wood firing methods. From here a move back to the UK and starting to work in Logistics for IKEA, 20 years and many moves later to different cities in China, Japan and Australia whilst working for the same company, but now in the field of Sustainability. Passionate about food waste and how we can educate people to value this resource, was naturally drawn to Yandina Community Gardens. Lives with her partner in a Sustainable off grid home in Towen Mountain, after many years moving from city to city has finally found somewhere to put roots down and really connect with the community and environment.

Colleen Bichel (Acting President)
Born and raised in Lockyer Valley. Mum and Dad were farmers (onions, garlic, rock melons, sweet potatoes etc) and had a recycling centre. Studied exercise science and health promotion and worked for 10yrs in preventative health care. Moved from Brisbane to Ninderry and completed her Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton. She is also a trained hypnotherapist and practices Quantum Healing Hypnosis, now the owner of Jeffers fresh produce store in Yandina. Colleen lives with her partner on an organic vegan property and has a menagerie of rescue animals.

Robyn Matthews (Treasurer)
“Born in Sydney, schooled in Townsville and lived most of my adult life in Sydney (where my heart will always be). 7 years ago I moved to the Sunshine Coast. I am blessed to have my forever home which has very little flat land but lots of steep slopes and long-term bush regeneration work needed. I’m also involved with Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group and Florabunda Nursery at Woombye. As was expected when I left High School I took secretarial and clerical work and continued for 30+ years. About 15 years ago I changed to community work and loved working in the disability services field. I am very passionate about everyone being provided opportunities to have the best life possible. I strive for a simple effective life myself and try to practice sustainability (not always successfully). Ethical outcomes are important to me – this includes every person, every animal and all living things. I found YCG when seeking out a like-minded community. I’ve enjoyed meeting a special quality of people with honesty, integrity and respect for others.

Gayle Richens
Born & raised in Brisbane. Joined an acting group at 10 & opened up a life of creation & litrature. Sewing & Gardening were my childhood passions & still are, Married now separated with 3 grown up Children & grandchildren. Studied fine art & many crafts, over the years have taught Sewing & Creative Art & Craft. Moved to Sunshine Coast 15 yrs ago… joined Noosa Permaculture… then Yandina Community Gardens.

Rob Lawrence
I grew up in some of NZ’s most beautiful places. My Dad always had a vegetable garden and orchard. Mum would bottle peaches and we would visit my uncle’s farm to go mushrooming. Dad was a traditional gardener and it took him a very long time to come around to mulching. However he was great at making jam, ginger beer and kiwifruit wine. I became much more environmentally aware while hunting with my friends as a teenager and it lead me on a path of environmental activism and campaigning. Sally and I began our family in 2006 and we have been navigating our way as environmentally ethically as possible for as long as I remember. We believe in being close to Earth and in co-creating our community, which has naturally lead us to YCG. Having lived on Sunshine Coast for 2 years, we are hoping to develop a deeper connection with the land here and sink down some roots.

Mada Brinkman (missing from photo)
Watch this space, Made is currently overseas