Imagine Waiheke

In a world where 1,000's die daily due to a lack of fresh water, where women poisoned by Depleted Uranium are giving birth to "jelly fish" deformed babies, and resource wars are raging across the planet as world leaders seek to gain control over finite resources, we are incredibly blessed here on Waiheke.

We live here in good health, in a culturally rich, highly tolerant society. While we sometimes see things differently, there are sufficient things we all hold dear, that hold us together. We recognise this island as a rare treasure, with its clean water, mostly unpolluted earth, and sparkling oceans. We may also sense what a resource-full island we live on, with abundant water and land, a benign climate for humans and plant life. And a population of people with varied skills and talents, people with big hearts, with vision, with money, and a desire to leave our children a world they can grow and blossom in.

There are signs that people are sensing a need to transition quickly into a more nurturing relationship with the planet which sustains us. What that means to each person is their own unique journey, which begins when we recognise our part in creating the reality we live in. Everyday I see people discovering new, fun and exciting ways to become part of the change, and cocreating a sustainable future together. People are finding their gifts and bringing them to the table to share them. Change comes about by numbers of us acting differently, and it starts with one, and if we can't do it here on Waiheke, where else?

The cornerstones to our successes will likely include communication, innovation and experimentation, supported by the necessary economics which can be both conventional and alternative. A good starting point maybe to stock-take all the talents and resources we already have here on the island. Then we can get going on the juicy stuff, like designing the types of energy production that would work best on the island. Wind and solar are immediately possibilities, while we keep an eye on developments in tidal energy systems. Septic tank collections can be taken to a bio-digesting plant to harness the gas while the waste is being properly composted. There are some great off the shelf plants available, and the Waiheke specific research is already underway.

Transport solutions are exciting because there are so many good options to choose from. Naturally we want clean convenient public transport. Imagine a fleet of efficient bio-diesel minibuses and couriers combing the island's arterial routes complemented by cabs that get people to those routes and cover after hours needs. With cycle racks on the buses, and less cars on the road, cycling would become realistic for many more people. If we get local energy production pumping on the island then electric vehicles become more viable. At the Imagining the 21st Century events in the cinema last year, a whole new model of ferries was spoken about, that could take commuters to different destinations on the island – further reducing the need for road transport.

This kind of talk whets my appetite, so where is the local kai which is so essential in good times and bad? What about getting a license for the sale of locally caught fresh fish – it's been done in Lyttelton. The Saturday markets are an immediate asset for enabling trade of local production, and the food exchange stall will soon have outgrown the Ostend Hall.

Imagine an increase in apiaries and a few decent flocks of free range chooks. And we could be harvesting all that local edible seaweed for my gomashio. Why, I'll bet there's even salt out there. To support food production ventures a fund could be built for micro lending. A 500 member food club investing $1,000 each will create a fund of $500,000. This could also be created by 500 people acting as guarantors for a loan from Prometheus Ethical Finance could manage the fund. A local currency would be a great addition.

These are just a few ideas, big and small, immediate and long term. Greater regional self reliance impacts big global problems while making our community a more secure and enjoyable place to live.

This article has been co-written by James Samuel and Laurence Boomert.