Hello Team Permaculture Noosa,

It has been an honour to step into the President’s role.  I am supported by a great executive team, committee and long-standing set of procedures and culture of the club. It has been easy and fun.

I was elected as a Noosa Councillor in March 2020.  My promise was to maintain the standard of living we all enjoy by living in Noosa.  I have learned that waves of change are upon us and we must act now to maintain what we love.  For example, 1.9 million people will be moving to Southeast Qld by 2035.  There will be enormous pressures for the urbanisation of Noosa.  Meanwhile, the water supply is very limited and may be dwindling with climate change (Noosa is connected with the SEQ water grid. We are all in this together). To stand still is to be swept away by change.  I believe we need to act now, and permaculture is the path forward. We must create our own future or others will do if for us, and they may not have the interests of permaculture at heart.

I am inspired by the vision of our group to build the pavilion at the Cooroy Community Garden.  This will be a hub where we can grow and cook our food, share knowledge, experiment with growing techniques, and build a vibrant permaculture community.  This is a place where the culture of permaculture will grow and be an example of how to face the challenging times ahead.  We are all leaders in the permaculture movement.

Thank you,

Tom