tolceltic-icon.jpg Focus on the material assets - projects, venues, businesses - of the Region which facilitate the long term health and well being of the community in sustainable, ecologically and ethically responsible ways.

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Please note the headings below introducing sections on PROJECTS, BUSINESSES & VENUES.

**PROJECTS**

BMT LETS (Local Exchange & Trading System) is a not for profit alternative trading organisation that services the beautiful coastal districts of Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and the Tweed Valley. LETS members exchange or trade products and skills by using a Local Currency called “Ecos”… A DIRECTORY of traders is produced listing all members’ skills, goods and services twice a year in June and December. Initial joining cost is only $25. bmt-lets.com/index.htm/

TROPO, the Tweed Richmond Organic Producers Organisation is a grassroots local action group dedicated to fostering organic agriculture and gardening on the NSW North Coast. TROPO offers a great Library of Articles with titles like: ‘Methods of growing bush tucker’, ‘Understanding soil tests’, ‘Recipes for home-made organic sprays for pest management’. Tropo holds meetings and field days covering practical organic farming and gardening techniques and looking at wider issues in sustainable agriculture. It also publishes the monthly magazine ‘Going Organic’. www.tweedrichmond.organicproducers.org.au/index.htm

The Northern Rivers Community Foundation is an independent philanthropic foundation, providing a sustainable way to benefit the community of the Northern Rivers region. The Foundation funds social, environmental and cultural projects in the region… www.nrcf.org.au/

GreenPower is a national program that promotes the renewable energy industry. Its accreditation program sets environmental standards for renewable electricity products offered by energy suppliers to households and businesses across Australia. Since 1997, more than 645,000 residential and commercial customers Australia wide have participated, resulting in savings of nearly 4.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The program - developed in consultation with the energy industry, and various NGOs including the Australian Consumers Association, Greenpeace, ACF and WWF- makes it easy for energy consumers to be a part of the solution: by reducing personal greenhouse emissions, using and investing in new sources of renewable energy and reducing our reliance on fossil fuel resources. The invitation to consumers is to buy as much GreenPower as you can afford and so help to drive demand for renewable energy - today. In NSW, participating energy retailers includes Country Energy - contactable on 132356 to order GreenPower for your home today. (See http://greenpower.gov.au/home-nsw.aspx for other NSW providers.) www.greenpower.com.au/

The Centre for Ecotechnology does research, provides consultancy services and co-organizes seminars on subjects related to sustainable resource management and ecosystem protection. One focus of the Centre’s research deals with on-site management of domestic waste water - working with systems designs such as waterless composting toilets; secondary treatment with subsurface flow wetlands and vertical flow bio-filters, etc. A guiding principle for the Centre is “. . . the design of sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both”. www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/index.php?page_id=49&menu=13_71

The locally produced “Living Systems” web site addresses the current challenges to “use the resources and instruments of the global economy to create a sustainable economy” and to “create a new game with new rules, harmony between each other and the planet, that can play the current economic game so well that it wins”. “Living Systems” concentrates its message in two categories: Sustainable Practice - Information for living in harmony and The Corporate / Co-operate Concept - Catalyst for rapid sustainable growth. The site provides excellent links - under the heading of Sustainable Practice : •Permaculture, Biodynamics etc •Eco-villages / Eco-cities •Mutually empowering communication skills •Internal economies and •Environmentally beneficial manufacturing and under the heading of The Corporate Concept : •Corporate Model •Market Opportunity •The Product •Environmentally Beneficial Manufacturing •What can you do? Check it out at www.livingsystems.com.au

**BUSINESSES**

Local Community Markets are integral to fostering the sense of community, furthering local economic self reliance and sharing the region’s productivity and creativity with locals and visitors alike. This list of markets is provided by Byron Shire Council. www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Community/Markets.aspx

Rainbow Power Company Ltd designs, manufactures, demonstrates, sells and installs renewable energy equipment based on solar, wind, hydro and biomass energy sources. It is one of the largest and most experienced Renewable Energy companies in Australia, with a unique headquarters serving as a working demonstration of the technology it sells… A primary objective of the company is to help turn the tide away from environmental destruction and towards environmental harmony. www.rpc.com.au/company.html

PAINTED EARTH is a small business based in rural Byron Bay, selling a large range of non-toxic, environmentally responsible house paints and wood finishes. www.house-paint.com.au/

Santos - serving the local community with best quality organic and natural food and health products and reaching out to the world committed to GM free and organic products where possible. www.santostrading.com.au Check their awesome LINKS page.

Fundamental Food Store - Fundies - is now one of Australia’s leading retailers of natural & organic foods, with 5 stores situated in the Northern Rivers area and Brisbane. Mission driven, selective about what they sell, committed to sustainable agriculture. Check their list of websites with information relating to the organic cause. www.fundies.com.au/links.html

**VENUES**

Djanbung Gardens permaculture education centre is a vibrant living learnscape of working permaculture systems and sustainability in action located in Nimbin, Wyabul / Bundjalung Country, Northern NSW. A diverse range of courses and learning opportunities are offered through the bioregional campus including vocational permaculture training, community education and work-for-wisdom volunteer programs. Courses include full-time Accredited Permaculture Training™ (APT) Certificates III, IV and Diploma of Permaculture. Short courses include PDC, Sustainable Aid, Eco-settlements Design, Integrated Production and Ecological Restoration. www.permaculture.com.au/ http://permaculture.info/index.php/Djanbung_Gardens

‘Funkey Forest’ Mountain Retreat Centre is a 200 acre human and wildlife sanctuary in the beautiful Upper Main Arm valley. A dynamic Centre for Personal & Planetary Transformation, Funkey Forest runs and hosts a range of retreats throughout the year - including Australia’s most affordable organic juice fasting and detox retreats, vegan raw food nutrition, Zen meditation, yoga, deep ecology, integral philosophy, drum and dance, forest treks and more. This stunning venue is also available for hire… www.funkeyforest.com/index.html

The Permaforest Trust, located on a 100 acre farm at Barkers Vale adjacent to the Border Ranges National Park, is an ‘educational centre for sustainability’- a center where people may come together temporarily to live, learn and work toward a sustainable future. Promoting ‘Integral Sustainability’ - health and evolution in body, mind and spirit; self, culture and nature - the Permaforest Trust offers visitors direct experiences of living in community, restoring the land, leading a conserver lifestyle, and growing organic food. The Trust offers a diverse, hands-on educational program, including Weekend Getaways for guests, Accredited Permaculture Training ™ internship programs, tours, courses and workshops. www.permaforesttrust.org.au

Temple Byron is an exceptional community venue near to the heart of Byron Bay. Radiant with wonderful healing energy, its beautiful hall, grand ceremonial yurt, tropical gardens with healing crystals and tranquil water features, ample seating and niches for solitude are designed to accomodate groups wishing to carry out their regular practice in a rarified environment. Aikido, Yoga, Meditation and Tai Chi groups, various workshops and seminars have thus far enjoyed this visionary gift to the community. http://templebyron.com/

Kaivalya Meru Lifestyle Community is a small healing community in Northern New South Wales, Australia, which was started by Nemi Nath in 1992 and offers workshops and training in Breathwork / rebirthing. It is nestled amongst mountains on the rim of the ancient Mt. Warning volcano, with views of Blue Knob (the ‘Sleeping Warrior’), Hanging Rock, Sphinx Rock, Lillian Rock and Wollumbin (Mt Warning) and the Border Ranges. The Centre is available for hire as a day or weekend venue for suitable/compatible group events (eg, yoga or meditation retreats, breathworkshops, etc). www.breathconnection.com.au/The Rainbow Temple (Rosebank) and its baba - Rainbow Guy - are local legends. Over some three decades now, the Temple has served as a portal for thousands of beings entering a new life in beautiful northern NSW or globe-hopping to discover themselves. The Temple continues to unfold its glory. While this web site info re regular full moon gatherings is NOT current, the maps are useful and the flash slide show inspiring… www.rainbowtemple.us/

Located at the gateway to Byron Bay, the Island Quarry Arts & Eco Centre - IQ - is a community project primely placed and maturing over time as an eco-tourist, educational centre fostering local arts, environment, new industries and sustainable technologies and demonstrating permaculture, endemic and botanic gardens, ecologically sound power and waste management systems, recycling operations and more… In July 2002 IQ also launched its community insurance umbrella - thus allowing more community activities to be covered by IQ. In October 2003, IQ launched SCENE (The Sustainable Community Employment Network Enterprise)… In March 2004, IQ gained full approval from Council for its S138 Development Application - with numerous events being staged since including a Corroboree Day for National Reconcilliation attended by 2000 people… www.iq.org.au/

Samaya Retreat is located in the lush hills of Rosebank - a 100 acre bushland property with creek, swimming holes, a large organic vegetable garden and orchard offering simple, clean facilities (community kitchen, showers and composting toilets) with zen style rooms, cabins, rustic cottages, dormitories and camping sites for guest accomodation. Ideal for solo or group retreats. www.byronevents.net/samaya/

NOTE: The next category in the ‘WB Solutions Galore’ is Vital Plane - activating the life force.