Happy New Year to all our members, supporters and Permanews subscribers. We have a big year planned and we hope you can be part of it.
Firstly, yes, I am back as President for 2020. After much negotiating with the family, I’m very happy to be able to continue in this role and to strengthen many of the programs we put in place last year. I am also very pleased to announce that the committee has elected Petrina King as our new Vice President. Petrina brings a fresh new approach to the Permaculture Noosa committee, which will definitely be reflected in many of our activities. Among other things, she has taken on responsibility for our social media, working hard to make our Facebook page much more interactive, and we now also have an Instagram account.
I would also like to welcome our new Editing team who have taken on the production of Permanews, and will be assisting Wayne Oldham with the website. Deanne Black and Deborah Quinn bring considerable experience in writing, editing, graphic design, desk top publishing and website design, and we are very thankful to have them on board.
We have all been touched in some capacity by the terrible bushfires that are ravaging many parts of Australia this summer. With increasing concerns about weather extremes on the planet, and debate about their cause and effect, sadly our communities are becoming polarised. This year the Permaculture Noosa committee is committed to promoting positive ideas and actions that people can implement in their own lives, in order to make a difference for our environment and our future. We are determined not to dwell on negativity, or things that are out of our control, but try to inspire people to make small positive changes. Each month we are featuring an article by guest presenters in Permanews, who we are sure will inspire you to make some positive changes. This month Elisabeth Fekonia is reflecting on creating a sustainable income.

Our Club Night this Thursday kicks off the year with a bang. We have our founder and world renowned Permaculture educator Geoff Lawton as our guest speaker. Geoff has just returned from Jordan and he will update us on his Greening the Desert Project which has reached an exciting new stage. Our demonstration on making our own lactobacillus for the garden will be presented by one of our favourites, Aaron Mears, who coincidentally studied with Geoff Lawton and completed his internship in Jordan. We hope you can make it this Thursday night for an information-packed evening. We commence sharply at 6.30 pm, but why not come along early and join in our market place?
Our Open Gardens will commence in February this year, and we are still hoping to find a Living Bee Coordinator so we can continue our monthly working bees at members’ properties. We have some great workshops lined up for this year, starting with a grafting workshop in March, which is being run in conjunction with Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens. Details will be available shortly on our website.
Remember, Permaculture Noosa is your organisation, and we always welcome your feedback. Send your suggestions to president@permaculturenoosa.com.au.

Latha Matters