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#Wheatbelt2040 – Community contemplate our Wheatbelt future

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Community Engagement

Last week 300 people joined Wheatbelt NRM for a viewing of the climate change documentary 2040.  Solutions for homes sharing renewable power supplies, regenerative agriculture, ride sharing electric cars to reduce congestion in cities ……. capturing carbon in seaweed that can grow 50cm a day, and is a food source!  It was all fantastic, and it was all real, currently available technology.

What was more fantastic was the panel of local people who are already building this type of future for us.  Micro girds in Wongan- Ballidu, wind farms in Merredin, mega composting facilities in Brookton, sandalwood plantations in Mt Marshall, Wheat farmers diversifying into citrus in Moora and then there was Avon Waste going from York , to just about everywhere Wheatbelt, to collect and recycle our  household waste.

Students from Northam, York, Brookton, Wyalkatchem and Cunderdin had the chance to question the panel and it created an engaging and inspiring conversation.

o   Do we need to rinse our recycling? Yes.

o   Is sustainable agriculture profitable? Yes, with a breath taking example of salt land in Brookton using native food crops to recover the land and generate a sizable income.

o   Was the environment an issue when you were a child? Yes.

We shared stories of tree planting, anti-nuclear protest and I think we should add the pesky hole in the ozone layer that is just about fixed now.

The movie was as confronting as it was inspirational, however the end result was empowerment for local action and that is what Wheatbelt NRM is all about.

The State Government currently has a Climate Change issues paper out for consultation, it is full of ideas for the State to support.  Send us your ideas (see the post on Wheatbelt NRMs Facebook site, or email info@wheatbeltnrm.og.au) and we can compile them, or you can all do your own response to the paper. https://consult.dwer.wa.gov.au/climatechange/issues-paper/

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