Member Newsletter — Spring 2026

By Website support
31/08/202601/09/2026
Newsletters

This seasons stories and events…

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING: to vote on new constitition — Monday 6 September, starting at 7:00pm
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: held online on Saturday 26 September, starting at 1:00pm
PLANT PROFILE: Golden Scallopini, a small, bright summer squash
TASMANIAN BIRD FLU reponse
WHEN THE COMMUNITY food movement meets the regulators
MY FAVOURITE THINGS: Patrick Casey
ORGANIC WOMEN FARMERS in Sri Lanka
PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES FOR BEGINNERS: use and value renewable resources and services
GRAB YOUR member benefits
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS needed
UPCOMING events
RESOURCE: Beneficial Blooms Guide — using plants to support beneficial insects on your property
SPRING gardening guide.

Greetings Permies

We have continued to work hard to re-establish Permaculture Tasmania as an active, vibrant group that serves the community. This takes time, and we are slowly but surely getting there.
These were the words that I wrote to introduce our 2025 Spring Newsletter,and my opening will not change this time.

New Constitution and governance measures

However, we are almost over the line, with a new Constitution, new governance measures put in place, new guidelines, updated policies and a great sense of accomplishment.

From a group that was ready to shut down at their AGM due to lack of interest, Permaculture Tasmania has been pruned, weeded, fertilised and is now sprouting healthy green shoots. No longer a poor little plant waiting to die in the clearance section of the Bunnings nursery, the group has been painstakingly nurtured by our committee over the last two years. Without their tireless efforts, Permaculture Tasmania would not be the growing community that it is as I write this.

Big thanks to our ordinary members, past and present

My sincerest thanks to our ordinary members, past and present, who attended monthly meetings, put in their two cents worth and did the small things that make big differences (Will, Sam, Dianne, Deanna, Suzi).

Our treasurer, Bruce, who has dizzied me many a time with the financials but managed to make it all work, and who always turns up to man the PT stalls in the south. (Go and have a chat with him, he’s bloomin’ marvellous!).

Our website volunteer who works quietly in the background making all the data and webdingles and such work, whilst manning the southern state stalls with Bruce. Thanks to Russ, who has created a sea of words that have permeated the community and provided a warm, comforting blanket of knowledge around permaculture.

Our Admin volunteer; Transition Tamar representative, PT stall holder, Launceston Repair cafe representative and committee member Karen, who has won the ‘persistence award’ for tackling all of the policies for PT in such a short time and turned them into something more than just fodder for the compost.

Pat, who may believe that he is ‘just’ an ordinary member, but is a dynamic young man with fresh ideas and the motivation and energy to make things happen. A new, vibrant and active local group for Meander Valley has sprung up from his enthusiasm and willingness to lend a hand to make things work.

And to my mentor and life member Tania Brookes, I extend my hand and salute you. Without your leadership and guidance, much of what PT was would have been lost. You have allowed us to rack your brains for the tiniest details of PT past and helped the newer members get a sense of how great this group was and still is. You gently encouraged us to do what the protocols dictate whilst preserving the best of the past and evolving into the new PT.

To our newest Public Officer, Elaine. You have come in late but won the race on the fastest constitutional changes and shoring up of the PT governance structure. Like the gentlest tornado, you have swept up all the pieces to the puzzle and spat them out as a complete framework for success, all in the space of a couple of months.

Lastly, huge gratitude to our indispensable secretary, Loretta, who works tirelessly to organise and motivate our group, bringing a lifetime of environmental and educational experience to bear on the many challenges we face. She’s been the glue that holds our group together, and we absolutely wouldn’t be here without her efforts.

Now that all of the hard, labourious, brain-stretching work has been done, Permaculture Tasmania is ready to grow branches, sprout branches and bloom! More local groups can be set up (let us know if you are interested) and linked to the Facebook local network pages, more events can be attended, more opportunities presented to our membership, more skills traded, more communities strengthened, more of everything!

So I thank you, the membership too, for believing in us, for supporting us financially through your memberships, for seeing past the mistakes and looking forward to the future. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

So this Spring, help us continue to grow. Get your friends and neighbours on board. Celebrate the changing of the seasons, the new life, the growth of the existing and the whisper on the breeze of what is yet to come.