On the south coast of Western Australia is the Shire of Denmark where people are environmentally conscious and actively engaged in projects such as local food market, community windfarm, plastic bag campaign, local produce swap, family cycling group and Denmark Bike Plan Green Town Project.
And so Transition Kwoorabup Denmark (TKD) has taken on the role of linking these groups together and identifying the shared ‘transition’ vision.
In the Shire of Denmark, WA, with some 85 community groups, a large environmentally conscious population, and both a high education profile (reputedly being the highest of any postcode in Australia) and a very high level of self-employment (and associated underemployment – resulting in significant discretionary time), there has been little need for Transition Kwoorabup Denmark (TKD) to start activities or projects (unlike other transition initiatives worldwide).
Instead, it seeks to provide a narrative that identifies community activities as being ‘transitional’ and links the many community initiatives together. The facebook page and email list for ‘members’ drives this connection. A wikispace website archives information.
As an organisation, there was an early steering committee, which has devolved into an ’empty-centered’ structure. The only ‘role’ is maintaining the facebook site, wikispace pages and the email list (currently Donald Clarke).
Transition stall at markets 12 2011
Some of the significant initiatives that TKD has been involved with over the last 8 years were:
- fostering a local food produce group,
- a local food market,
- support for the Denmark Environment Centre to have a ‘transition’ as well as a natural environment focus,
- supporting a plastic bag free campaign,
- a family cycling group,
- a local business sustainability survey in association with the Chamber of Commerce, and early support for the Sustainability Expo.
All these initiatives have moved on of their own accord under their own community group.
Denmark Community Windfarm one of the transition projects in Denmark, WA
Important ‘transitional’ projects in Denmark WA include:
- Denmark Community Windfarm
- Denmark Tip Shop Plastic Bag Free
- Denmark WA DecoHousing
- Denmark Kwoorabup Local Markets
- Denmark Local Produce
- Denmark Produce Swap
- Denmark Bike Plan Green Town Project
plus many others big and small…