Montmorency Community Group

The Montmorency Community Group started as a Transition Town initiative in November 2009 with a public meeting held at the local primary school. The meeting, which was attended by over 60 people, led to the formation of the Montmorency Community Group. The MCG is an incorporated group and has a steering group of 8 to 12 people which meets on a monthly basis to plan and organise community events.

Activities include a monthly produce swap, edible garden visits, film nights, speakers (e.g. a forum on the Carbon Tax), an annual bush dance, Earth Hour picnic in the park and various projects, including an espaliered orchard at the local school, assistance with installation of rain water tanks for the school's kitchen garden project and assistance on the school's building committee. A recent initiative has been a native bush garden award which is the first step in a project to increase native habitat links to improve local biodiversity. This project has been funded by the local council and MCG has received suport from the local councillor and council officers for other projects over the past 3 years.

MCG members have a regular stand at the monthly community market at Montmorency Primary School. The use the stand to engage local people in their views and visions on how the community could become more sustainable. People can write their comments on a large banner under different themes. The banner was recently presented to our local Council, the City of Banyule, to coincide with Council's community consultation to develop its planning process for the next few years.