Subject: All University students -loads of booze and barbies - no permaculture

From: April Sampson-Kelly <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 20:25:14 +-1000

I realised after reading your success - that we have Universities with Mega bucks in the student
Union accounts that are used mainly for staging bands and building sports strucutres-
we have 'free university in Australia' with compulsory membership to the union.  This may go
of course with change of Government and may have gone anyway with old government.

Surely the funding of health and food programs is as vital as sports and boozing (drinking)
but maybe a little less popular - Each University student in Australia should apply to their
Union for funds and start up a permaculture association!!!  We used to get funds with low numbers.

Things are going resonably well at the university permaculture plot

We kept battering at the campus administration and eventually after
compliying with various health and safetly regulations gained access to the
land and the greenhouses (basically we pissed everybody off that much that
they gave us what we wanted to get rid of us)

I put forward a proposal at the student union annual meeting for the creation
of an environmental officer position, the main purpose of the position
being to coordinate all the environmental and ecological interest of students
However this was not successful due to the absence of a representative from
one of the campuses. Maybe next time.

12 of the society attended an introductory weekend paid for using society
funds and work on the site has consisted of creating mulch beds in existing
cold frames and general de-rubbishing of the site and lots of watching and
discussing. Until we have created a full design it has been decided to cover
the whole area with cardboard.

Are planned design course was cancelled due to the illness of one of the
teachers so we've invested the money in permaculture and organic gardening
books instead.

   Myk Rushton-MSU Permaculture Society: [email-masked]