Sumner Estate Sustainability Street

							                                  Sumner Estate Sustainability Street
                                     EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

The Sumner Landscape
The Sumner Estate is a heritage estate of approximately three hundred households. It is a small pocket
of Northcote bounded by St Georges Road, Arthurton Road and Merri Creek. The community has three
schools within walking distance, notably Northcote High School and Merri Creek Primary can be reached
on foot or bike without crossing any busy roads. The community’s recreation needs are well served by
Merri Park which features the popular wooden playground and provides plenty of room to kick the ball.
The wetlands are a focus for local conservation. There are further playing fields across the Merri Creek
that can be accessed by the walking track. The community has access to CERES via a bike path/walking
track, again access can be made without crossing major roads or any roads at all for some residents. The
nature of the estate’s division from other residential areas has created a unique strong and vibrant
neighbourhood and community. With this location in mind, we still feel as a community living here, there
is much we can see and do to further enhance our way of living by becoming more energy and resource
efficient in our homes and environment more connected within in our community.

Who are we?
We come from many different backgrounds and age groups and our reasons for living here are many and
varied. What we have in common is a love of our home, this quiet cosy corner next to the Merri Creek.
We currently have about 30% of households committed to the project with the prospect of 90% or more
households getting involved. Our ‘environmental’ performance sits at about seven out of ten but
recognising the additional households involvement there is room for lots of improvement.

Why do we live here?
   it’s close to the city but it’s a quiet slice of the country
   Merri Creek parks, sports fields and playgrounds
   bike paths for commuting, exercise and fun
   choice of public transport close by
   schools walking distance away
   a chook’s flight from CERES

What are we doing together?
Within Sumner Estate we already have:
 a weekly Infant and Toddler Playgroup,
 a local organic food co-op has been hosted in the area for the last 6 years,
 a book club,
 an informal babysitting club,
 a informal community garage sale day,
 a playground lobby group.

We socialise together as friends and neighbours and in the past have held street parties and gatherings.

We take an active interest in our environment by:
 taking part in cleaning up the Merri Creek
 regular weeding and planting days at the Merri/Sumner Estate Billabong
 joining local interest groups such as Friends of the Merri Creek and CERES volunteers
 planting our gardens, and even some of our nature strips with indigenous plants

With all this in mind, we already feel as a community living here.



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Group ideas
In our initial meeting to discuss Sustainability Street, we broke into small groups and brainstormed ideas
we’d like to see happen within our community:

   Teenage Care Project – plantings and music street festival, stormwater drain stencilling. Ask resident
    young people (13–25) to express interest in creating an Art project in response to sustainability.
   Art Projects - Possible tile making for the playground sandpit (Merri Creek Primary school have done
    this and it looks great). Could also make tiles for house numbers to be installed on the pavement
    outside each house. Or when pathways being repaired by council residents could add handmade
    tiles.
   Water – water audits, water tanks, grey water recycling, water sensitive urban design
   Bulk Buying – food co-ops with dry goods, electrical parts, computer parts, light globes, water tanks,
    mulch to solar panels!
   Promote Less driving to the area in general, catch PT, link in with Travel Smart program – promote
    more bike riding and walking, a walking school bus. Link in with car hire ‘pods’ or car share idea
    based in Sumner Estate. Enhance safe pedestrian access to Merri Park
   Community Contact – Urban Orchard, babysitting, social events/letterbox drop; inform community of
    local businesses providing appropriate products. Find ways to promote community activities and
    programs and connect with youth and elderly.
   Website development – to establish and further community links. Establish a bulletin board/fruit tree
    map/swap/sale page.
   Indigenous Biodiversity – create vegetation corridors to link with Merri Creek and the Wetland
    areas. Link with Melbourne Water/Friends of Merri Creek/City of Darebin partnership. Educate
    ourselves about indigenous garden info and action in the form of ‘Back to Nature Strips’.
   Street Reclamation/ Traffic Calming – bike education and encouraging more bike use in and to the
    area by non-residents. Using traffic calming ‘islands’ as bio-diverse gardens and stormwater
    abatement areas.
   Solar Power – education re solar power. Links with CERES solar park.
   Heritage Overlay – address heritage overlay restrictions in regards to environmental application.
   Energy – apply household audits/community audit and monitor usage over time to gauge
    reductions/fluxes/use. Invite expertise to provide training and info relevant to householders.
    Encourage other estate residents to sign up to Community Power
   Community Food Production – commitment to sharing space for planting fruit trees and growing
    vegetables. Encourage neighbours to plant appropriately or use edible varieties. Linking with Urban
    Orchard or having our own trestle table market on weekends. Encourage links with local school
    communities to encourage and educate children to grow their own fresh foods.
   Community Composting – commitment to working together to compost organic waste from
    residents to share amongst gardens and maintain plantings.
   Toy and book library – second hand goods barter and swap meet.

Outcomes
Over the next six month meeting period beginning 6th July, we aim to address the above topics of group
interest.
 Initially focus on small scale household projects with immediate application.
 Identify community projects to launch Sumner Estate Sustainability Street.
 Increase community involvement and contact.

Contact person:
Natasha van Velzen
22 Ryan Street
Northcote 3070
94430578
tashavv07@yahoo.com.au

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