Jocelyn Watts | 26th August 2010 | Fraser Coast Chronicle

GREEN, clean industries are the way of the future but Fraser Coast people must act now if the region’s idyllic lifestyle is to be maintained, says Maggie John of Transition Towns.

“Oil has fuelled much of the massive population growth and the extraordinary achievements of the last 150 years. It is the lifeblood of industrial society,” Ms John said.

“According to a growing number of experts, soon the world will reach the ultimate peak in global oil production. After this point, production will begin its slow but terminal decline.

“Peak Oil represents an historical turning point, from an era of growth to an era of contraction. Peak Gas won’t be far behind.”

Ms John said alternative energy sources could not fill the entire gap that oil and gas left behind and as a result, massive social changes were certain.

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Jocelyn Watts | 25th August 2010 | Fraser Coast Chronicle

AN AMBITIOUS plan for a Sustainable Technology Park that will ‘future-proof’ the Fraser Coast was proposed at a meeting in Hervey Bay yesterday.

Maggie John, from Transition Towns Fraser Coast, told guests that Australia was experiencing a major turning point in history and opportunities existed for those willing to embrace the change.

Her presentation – Entering the Green Gold Rush, unlocking the potential of our region – outlined challenges the world faced such as skyrocking oil prices.

“Rough times are coming,” she said. “There’s not one of us who won’t be touched by this in the next 10 years but there are things we can do to help ourselves.”

Ms John said oil was predicted to cost $8 per litre by 2018, causing a flow-on effect for transport, food, services, business and everyday lifestyle. Tourism would suffer, supermarket food prices would skyrocket, vehicles would be used less, and there would be less job security and a reduction in essential services.

One answer, she said, was to build a Sustainable Technology Park focusing on food, fuel and energy sources.

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Jennifer Chapman | 8th January 2010 | Fraser Coast Chronicle

GREEN-THUMBED angels have been visiting homes around the Fraser Coast dropping off green pressies.

Pigeon pea seeds have been delivered to a number of lucky residents thanks to Transition Town Hervey Bay and the Hervey Bay Seedsavers Seed Bank.

The gift is to encourage people to get stuck into their gardens to help lower the region’s carbon output.

Transition Town Hervey Bay founder Maggie John explained pigeon peas can not only be used to make delicious recipes but are also good for soil.

Pigeon peas grow as a shrub about two metres high, said Ms John.

They are also native to India and are grown there as a commercial crop.

The plant is drought resistant and survives well with little care.

“People shouldn’t be worried that it is not native,” said Ms John. “We did risk management and it is not likely to escape as a weed.

“It improves soil in a number of ways,” she explained. “It puts life back into soil; worms can feed off it and it can hold moisture.”

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