The urbanisation of Hamilton

Recently it seems that we are seeing housing estates prop up everywhere around Hamilton. If you live in the Hamilton region you have probably already heard about plans from VicUrban development to release 300 lots of land on the edge of lake Hamilton.

Obviously this is a long term project spanning over a ten year period. At the weekend launch of this program around 300 people attended, yet only one block of land was sold.

Builders and homeowners are required to install rain water tanks which will be plumbed to the toilet, laundry and hot water system. Apparently this is their idea of sustainable building. However building on this area is not sustainable at all. Not only will it create much unwanted noise pollution, but it will also increase the amount of traffic on Ballarat road. From an environmental perspective, it will destroy natural habits of animals and birds which inhabit the land, and also destroy the scenery of Lake Hamilton.

Do people really want to live in artificially made communities?
These houses that are being produced in the estates are not unique in the slightest, but also look overly modern for a rural town.

Obviously this is an example of a major company trying to make a quick buck at the expense of a rural community. People of Hamilton need to remember that we are a rural community and not a suburb in a capital city. If this sort of building continues within Hamilton we will eventual end up with a concrete jungle of ticky-tacky houses that look the same.

Say no to housing estates!

Extreme fire conditions for the south west

Victoria is once again facing extreme fire conditions. Yesterday many of us received warnings from the Victorian police via SMS regarding the conditions that faced us. Today government buses have stopped operating due to these conditions and have left school students in rural areas at home instead of at school. Last week schools in Dunkeld and Cavendish were closed because of extreme fire conditions. These extreme conditions are especially dangerous because of the lack or rain in south west Victoria.

Obviously schools need to consider creating bush fire plans in order to keep students at school. Community action plans also need to be created and practiced in order to prevent devastating loss as seen on the black Saturday bush fires.

How you can help
You can help our community by volunteering with the State Emergency Services or the CFA. Not only is this a rewarding experience but it also lets you get involved with the community and meet new people.

Organizing National Anarchist Networks

A video about networking created by members of the Bay area national anarchists.

A start to self sufficiency

With much inspiration from websites such as Verdant and Guerrilla Gardening, I have decided to create my own vegetable garden. Hopefully this garden will be able to produce a large amount of vegetables; which will enable me to cut down on the amount of money spent at the supermarket.

I started out with an area full of weeds that had not been maintained for a long time. It took me two hours to pull out most of the weeds and form a garden bed by digging up the soil. I then proceeded to dig the ground in order to get a smoother soil. I came across many roots and very hard areas of ground, but were able to remove them with a bit of effort. After I had consistent soil I decided to use bricks in order to make a boarder.


To access the area I had to cut through lots of foliage which will eventually become my compost for the garden. I hope to grow lettuce, carrots, potatoes, spinach and pumpkin.

I hope to produce enough food to be able to offer donations to family, friends and neighbors. I wish to keep you updated with the progress of my garden and urge others to produce their own food. Self sufficiency is a means of being independent and not relying on major supermarkets.