Please note, this page is under construction. While the wording, look and layout may evolve in the coming days, RWBI's core values and goals will not change. We ask that all parties interested in becoming a part of RWBI share these same values and goals.

The text only version:

Background

Crude oil is the life blood of modern society. Oil and it's derivative products (petroleum gas, gasoline, kerosene, asphalt, etc.) underpin our society. We use oil products in our planes, trains, automobiles, trucks and boats to get us and everything we buy from point A to point B. Oil is crucial to modern agricultural, as fertilisers and pesticides are made from oil. Every industry from construction to retail, not to mention all of our critical services like police, fire and hospitals- all of them rely on transportation. The billions of plastic products available today are made from oil, as are more surprising things like lipstick, insect repellent, and even food preservatives. According to OPEC, at the end of 2003 there was 1,137,550 million barrels (that's a million million, or about a trillion barrels!) of proven world oil reserves. Chevron says we used the first trillion barrels of oil in 125 years, and that we'll use the next trillion in 30 years. World energy consumption is projected to increase by 57 percent between 2002 and 2025 (Energy Information Association, 2006).

In 2004, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas estimated that oil production would peak before 2010. Simply put, there is no way dwindling supply can keep up with the ever-increasing demand. The concern isn't that we'll "run out" of oil, but that it will require more than one barrel of oil just to recover one barrel of oil: it will simply cost too much. This is peak oil.

Post-peak, we can expect ever-increasing prices on anything that depends on crude oil, which we've already established is everything. Thanks to our dependency on cheap oil, few of us have control over our own basic needs. This dependency is not only unethical from a social justice and environmental perspective, it also threatens our security and happiness with every hitch in the supply line. It also devalues our local economy, skills and relationships. In short, our current lifestyle is unsustainable. How do we cope?

The peak in oil production and subsequent decline in supply necessitates we use our local skills and talents to secure our basic needs. Localising our economy strengthens it. It allows us to focus on our shared values and to develop friendships. Whether we accept the reality of peak oil or not, working towards building self reliant, sustainable and caring communities is a worthwhile endeavour.

Relocalisation Works in the Burnett Inland (RWBI) is the product of two women’s passionate concern about the environmental and social impacts of rampant consumerism, Peak Oil and Climate Change, combined with their fundamental belief that individual action does make a difference. Together, Andi Hazelwood and Chérie McGregor conceptualised RWBI as the infrastructure for facilitating relocalisation strategies throughout the Burnett Inland.

Founders

Chérie McGregor
Chérie has over ten years experience working in the community sector which has involved a strong focus on community education and development. Although only recently acquainted with the Peak Oil debate, Chérie has long held an interest in sustainability, environmental and social justice issues. Chérie and her family also live in the Burnett Inland and are working towards being as self-sufficient as possible.

Andi Hazelwood
Andi comes from thirteen years in commercial radio production in America, where she created advertising for major conglomerates in San Diego and Atlanta. In early 2004 Andi learned of Peak Oil and began using her media talents for the public broadcasting of environmental and social issues. Now living in the Burnett Inland, Andi and her husband are working towards their goal of a simple, self-sufficient lifestyle.

Patrons

It is our concern about the impacts of peak oil and our desire for more sustainable lifestyles that drive us to create Relocalisation Works, and will continue to inform its ongoing development. Hence we have enlisted David Holmgren and Richard Heinberg as patrons.

David Holmgren
David Holmgren is the co-originator (with Bill Mollison) of the permaculture concept, has written a number of books on the topic, developed properties and facilitated workshops throughout the world. David’s work on the design principles (which underpin the techniques applied by permaculture practitioners) informs RWBI’s approach to community development in designing and implementing relocalisation strategies.

Richard Heinberg
Richard Heinberg is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost Peak Oil educators. He has written a range of books on the topic, is also a research fellow of the Post Carbon Institute and teaches ”Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community” at New College of California. Richard’s work on Peak Oil has motivated the creation of Relocalisation Works and will continue to be an important influence.

Strategic Partners

Post Carbon Institute and The Relocalization Network
Post Carbon Institute (Post Carbon) is a think, action and education tank offering research, project tools, education and information to implement proactive strategies to adapt to an energy constrained world.

Post Carbon developed the strategy of Relocalization, which “aims to rebuild societies based on the local production of food and energy, and the relocalization of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, strengthen local economies, and dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity.”

The Relocalization Network is the Institute’s global initiative to support local community groups as they develop and implement the strategy of Relocalization in their communities. The project provides on-line communication tools, developing valuable resources, facilitating connections between local groups and cultivating a sense of working together on local responses to global issues.

RWBI is a member of Post Carbon Institute's Relocalization Network and is committed to their stated ideologies and values. As such RWBI and our members adopt the Relocalization Network Pledge as follows.

The Relocalization Network Pledge

As a member of the Relocalization Network, I pledge to actively work towards the Relocalization of my community, to do so without violence or discrimination, and to not advocate for more large-scale energy as a solution to the energy crisis. I pledge to actively participate in the Relocalization Network by documenting my activities, and sharing information, ideas, research and resources and collaborating with other groups in the Relocalization Network.

Foresters ANA Mutual Society Ltd
Foresters ANA is a not for profit company whose ethical practice demonstrates their stated commitment to “promote a regeneration of mutuality and cooperation, and the practice of community capital building”6. Foresters ANA is currently managing several initiatives which are congruent with the relocalisation ethos.

These include
1. The Community Trust which provides grants, no-interest loans and low-interest loans to community organisations and groups wishing to develop community capital building activities, and who are located in disadvantaged communities.
2. The Eco Fund which provides no-interest benefits to contributing members to purchase or otherwise bring about ecologically sustainable improvements to that member’s home or locality.
3. Microfinance provides people on low incomes with access to no-interest credit, no-interest finance for micro enterprise, and facilitates regular savings patterns. Foresters ANA is a pioneer in the development of microfinance models in Australia, and focuses on models which promote and value group autonomy, collective decision-making and development of relationships.

Foresters' ideological position and ethical practise reflects the type of organisation RWBI seeks to become. For this reason, we chose Foresters ANA to guide RWBI in its establishment phase and to act as an auspicing body for funding applications until we are incorporated and registered in our own right.

Organisational Ethics and Ideology

Aims

• To raise community awareness of and preparedness for peak oil and living in an energy constrained world

• To promote the Oil Depletion Protocol, Relocalisation, sustainable development and conservative consumerism
• To provide access to information and support to enable individuals and communities to achieve energy independence and sustainability
• To provide opportunities for interested individuals, groups and communities to be involved in planning, delivering and evaluating relocalisation programs and activities
• To facilitate collaboration between individuals, groups, businesses and government bodies to address energy descent and community sustainability issues
• To influence public policy

Vision

Our vision for the Burnett Inland is one of a region which began to strategically confront the issue of peak oil in 2006. This saw a region wide adoption of the Oil Depletion Protocol and it’s implementation by way of a chronological action plan for energy independence. The region successfully lobbied the State and Federal governments to support their plan through initiatives such as reactivating the region’s rail system. The ability of emergency and public works services to continue to operate effectively was assured through their early implementation of strategies for energy independence. Each community within the Inland was encouraged and supported to develop initiatives which increased their self reliance, social capital and energy independence. Initiatives included (among other things) establishing Local Energy Transfer Systems; Permaculture Co-operatives, Community Supported Transport and networks of interest to support residents in their efforts to become as individually self sufficient as possible. Consequently, the Burnett Inland is a network of largely self sufficient, socially vibrant and sustainable communities, independent from unreliable and unsustainable global resources.

Values

With peak oil on the horizon, communities need to be taking action now to plan for and implement strategies which will ease their transition into the energy constrained world of the future. Governments are short term focused and reluctant to confront this issue. Typically, as members of the general public, we have become increasingly apathetic and uninterested in acting to change our own situation, preferring to rely on politicians and scientists to “figure it out” for us.

People discover a sense of personal power and control when they act on issues which impact on their lives. Individuals can make a difference through taking responsibility and making conscious choices. Every one is capable of making changes in his or her own life, thinking outside the square, challenging the status quo and motivating others to consider new ways of behaving. At the same time, access to support, resources, opportunities, knowledge and skills are crucial to a person’s ability to determine their own future and to participate in and affect the life of their community. When individuals work together with a common purpose, the effect isn't simple addition: it's multiplication. Furthermore, a sense of being connected to and part of a wider community is created when people work together to achieve common goals and demonstrate (through action) a concern for the welfare of each other and the community. Hence, empowering individuals through creating networks of purpose that foster social interaction, genuine dialogue, understanding and social action is vital to achieving sustainable social change.

Social capital is being continually eroded by competitive individualism in an increasingly materialistic culture. People are progressively more isolated from each other and their community. To adapt to the demands of an energy constrained world we, as a society, need to nurture a sense of social cohesion and re-evaluate our consumer mentality to create healthier, more sustainable lifestyles and communities.

We believe in remaining open to new ideas and searching for holistic solutions, tailor made for the specific requirements of our locality. We respect enthusiasm, wisdom and experience. We value the time, skill, artistry and quality of craftsmanship over cheap mass production. We value and celebrate diversity of culture, skills, interests and knowledge as an asset, in our search for comprehensive understanding of the issues, resources, opportunities and challenges unique to each local community. It is only from a thorough base of understanding, that we can develop appropriate responses. Hence, all community members have a fundamental right, if not a social responsibility, to be active partners in decision making regarding community projects.

RWBI advocates reducing consumption as a key strategy for achieving sustainability. We value a community interested in sharing and acting for the mutual benefit of all members, over one motivated by status and material achievement. We believe in cooperation and resource sharing (as opposed to competition and selling for profit). We are committed to developing quality resources and making those resources freely available for others to duplicate and adapt as required. We are committed to utilising the resources currently available within our communities, membership and peer network.

We believe absolutely in the importance of leading by example and walking the talk. Hence we are committed to administration practices which conserve resources and minimise consumption. We are committed to using second hand or recycled items and utilising existing resources from within the community whenever practical and to freely promoting relevant services or networks to avoid replication. We will work from “virtual offices” and public spaces to avoid the expense of physical infrastructure.

Guiding Principles to Community Development

Permaculture design principles

Our approach to community development is grounded in the principles of permaculture design as presented by David Holmgren (Holmgren, 2006).

Everything is connected to everything else
Every function is supported by many elements
Every element should serve many functions

"As far as possible, each element of a sustainable community is multi functional and each important function is supported by many elements" (Holmgren, 2006).

"Self-maintaining and self-regulating systems are the ideal, and are created by working to ensure that each individual and each community is as self-reliant and energy efficient as possible. Sustainable systems encourage success, growth and easy replication" (Holmgren, 2006).

"A contextual and systemic sense of the dynamic balance between stability and change contributes to design that is evolutionary rather than random"(Holmgren, 2006). Hence, achieving long term, social change and sustainable development, demands a keen understanding of trends and issues at both a macro and micro level – with one informing and influencing the other. Focusing too intently only on local issues and micro projects, can distract attention away from the big picture and long term vision. It is easy to get discouraged. Social change is slow to achieve. Therefore, although it is important to have a long term vision, it is also important to maintain a commitment to, focus on and satisfaction in small projects and acknowledge incremental achievements.

Conversely, focusing too intently at a macro level creates the potential to adopt a top down, one size fits all approach to community development, which loses the integrity of supporting individuals and small communities to achieve their objectives.

"Careful observation and thoughtful interaction provide the inspiration, momentum and means for effective and sustainable community development"(Holmgren, 2006). Diversity of perspectives, skills, interests and resources increases the potential for understanding an issue. Including a diversity of elements and processes in a strategy or program design reduces the vulnerability of the overall system and fosters self-reliance. Consultation, collaboration and developing a bottom up, all of community approach (involving government, community organisations, private sectors and individuals) is essential to maximising the effectiveness of existing community resources in striving towards sustainable community development

The strength of a community is dependent on the relationships between its members. Effective community development strategies recognise and foster interdependent, collaborative relationships between individuals, organisations and governing bodies. Relationships represent the means of blending the unique qualities of each ‘element’ (ie person, group or organisation) to the ultimate benefit of both the individual and the collective. Strengthening social interactions within the community, bringing people together and assisting them to communicate with each other in a way that can lead to genuine dialogue, understanding and social action is vital to effectively implementing community initiatives.

“The marginal and invisible aspects of any system should not only be recognised and conserved, but expansion of these aspects can increase system productivity and stability” (Holmgren, 2006). The achievements, value and social capital associated with unpaid or volunteer labour is ‘invisible’ and largely ignored by fiscal policy. The strength, sustainability and resilience of communities is dependent on this ‘marginal and invisible’ element. Hence, effective community development depends on, recognises, nurtures and supports unpaid labour and volunteer efforts.

Access and Equity

All people have a fundamental right to access opportunities and services to be able to enjoy life and participate in the community. Ensuring an inclusive service requires specific strategies to promote diversity, meet diverse needs/interests and to combat the prejudices that result from stereotypical thinking. Gender, intergenerational disadvantage, cultural background, intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities are relevant factors in planning and delivering accessible and inclusive services.

Strategies and Activities

RWBI is ideologically driven to social action and advocacy and will function, at all levels, in accordance with its values and vision. RWBI is action and solution focused. Activities and services are designed to achieve positive outcomes for individuals, communities and the environment. RWBI is proactive, responsive and adaptable to meet changing needs over time. Involving the community in planning, delivering and reviewing services, programs and activities promotes effective and accountable service delivery and is core to RWBI’s modus operandi.

Volunteer involvement

RWBI is intentionally reliant on the efforts of volunteers because volunteer participation

• promotes the ethos of self help, individual responsibility and community involvement;

• facilitates skills sharing and encourages relationship building;
• expands the skills and support base available through RWBI and
• enhances the range of services and projects achievable through RWBI.

Participatory Action Research (PAR) Framework

RWBI is committed to a ‘learning through action’ approach to community and organisational development. Hence all RWBI members are encouraged to be involved in the planning, implementing and continual evaluation of services and projects. It is only by encouraging involvement and input from as broad a cross section of the community as possible, that RWBI can ensure a bottom up approach to community development and in so doing meet the needs of individuals and their communities.

A Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach offers a framework for conceptualising a process of ongoing evaluation and service development. PAR is described as a “spiral of cycles of planning, action (implementing plans), observing (systematically), reflecting…and then re-planning, further implementation, observing and reflecting’ (McTaggart in Goff, 1998 cited in the Reconnect Action Research Kit 1.8). This approach considers stakeholders (eg volunteers and community members) as experts, and emphasises the involvement of stakeholders in decision making and generating policy questions (Quixley, 1998:vi).

-Planning
Volunteers and community members are encouraged to be involved in decision making regarding all aspects of planning, implementing and reviewing RWBI's activities.

-Action
RWBI is action focused and willing to risk failing in order to achieve its purpose. It is only through action, that goals can be achieved, skills learned and improvements made. Less than successful outcomes are accepted in a spirit of learning from mistakes and gaining experience.

-Evaluation
RWBI members and volunteers are encouraged to see respectful and constructive complaints, feedback and suggestions as an important tool for ongoing learning and continual development. As such they are encouraged not only to provide feedback to RWBI, but also to encourage and pass on feedback from uninvolved members of their respective communities.

Evaluation and planning strategies may also include collating and reviewing statistics on attendence at activities or functions, surveys, focus groups, post activity feedback forms etc. Service evaluations will also pro-actively seek the opinions and suggestions of residents from communities that do not have an active group.

Strategic Objectives

Establish the RWBI Network

Establish RWBI as a regional relocalisation network for the Burnett Inland (covering the 12 shires from Monto to Kingaroy).

The logic behind establishing a regional network is to

• take full advantage of the existing networking opportunities available through partner organisations

• share expenses (eg insurance etc) and infrastructure (eg Incorporation/DGR status etc) across a wider membership base, minimising cost and maximising efficiency
• capitalise on the benefits of 'critical mass' (55 000 residents across the region) to increase RWBI’s profile and efficacy in attracting sponsorship, applying for funding and lobbying state and federal governments on large infrastructure issues (eg reopening railway freight lines throughout the Burnett Inland)

Activities

• Develop relationships with peer activists

• Develop relationships with local groups and community leaders through involvment in partner organisations and through guest speaker presentations at meetings (eg Chamber of Commerce, Rural Women’s Network, Neighbourhood Watch etc)
• Undertake a community awareness raising program about Peak Oil, with a focus on responsive strategies for relocalisation
  • Develop a low cost presentation kit and format as a tool for facilitating community education sessions

  • Trial a ‘party plan’ approach to community education
  • Train volunteers in presenting community education sessions
  • Develop a RWBI collection to be available for public borrowing through the library system. The collection would include resources relating to peak oil, organic gardening/farming, permaculture, self reliance, renewable energies etc
  • Establish relationships with local print and radio media and local communication networks (eg school and council newsletters)
• Online Community Communication
  RWBI's website will include a forum for the online exchange of ideas among members and also allow all members to maintain a weblog or journal of RWBI-related activities, complete with functionality for uploading of files, documents, photos, etc. The site will also allow members to comment on blog posts. These varied avenues of communication benefit other RWBI members, those wishing to start their own relocalisation networks and the general public.
  • Establish a core membership of active members in each shire

  • Recruit, train and support a local area coordinator in each shire
  • Establish a pattern of regular meetings and activities in each shire
  • Recruit members to a regional steering committee
  • Establish a pattern of regular regional meetings
  • Become a discreet organisation in our own right
  • In collaboration with members and partner organisations, develop and adopt a constitution and organisational policies and procedures
  • Register with the Australian Taxation Office for an Australian Business Number, Charity Status and recognition as a Deductible Gift Recipient organisation
  • Register with Dept of Consumer Affairs as an Incorporated organisation

Implement Community Initiatives

RWBI is committed to a bottom up approach to community development. As such, the specific nature of local level initiatives will be largely dictated by the interests and needs of individual communities. However, there are three specific projects that Andi and Chérie are motivated to initiate in their respective communities of Biggenden and Kilkivan. It is anticipated that establishing these projects in their own communities will provide an opportunity to research and document (using a PAR framework) the process and relevant resources, so that they can be presented as an easy to replicate package to other communities in the region and through the Relocalization Network. Further, as a PAR framework promotes ongoing development, it is anticipated that the resources from these initial activities would merely form a basis that would continue to be amended, added to and improved as subsequent communities experiment with implementing the strategies.

Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS)

LETS is a community exchange system for sharing local skills and services. The LETS group's function is to act as a bookkeeper for the members' transactions. LETS systems strngthen communities in a multitude of ways. In addition to providing a system for people to promote skills and services which may not be ‘saleable’ in the fiscal system, LETS also facilitates relationship building and promotes principles of mutual aid within the community. Many Burnett Inland communities have an aging population who would benefit from a system of being able to legitimately request assistance (to put in a light bulb or help with gardening, cleaning etc) without the concern of having to pay cash or ‘be a burden’; newcomers to the area joining LETS have a ready made directory of who to contact for a hand; people on low incomes or cash poor primary producers can make their cash stretch further. Furthermore, many of these communities are characterised by a lack of services (eg handymen, gardening etc) which a LETS system could address.

Activities

1. Thoroughly research the concept though contacting existing LETS groups for information and support regarding the administration of a LETS program
2. Promote the concept through exisiting community networks and Peak Oil community education program
3. Recruit a core group of volunteers to manage the project and establish an administration system
4. Launch LETS

Permaculture Co-operatives

When food is produced in distant places, its supply is vulnerable to interruptions to the supply line. Home and community gardening not only provides fresh food, but also ensure that gardening skills and knowledge is retained. (Holmgren, 2005) Establishing a community gardening cooperative is an opportunity to promote community self reliance, foster relationships through skill sharing and common interest, promote relocalisation values and act as a community focal point for sharing gardening resources and information.

Activities

1. Thoroughly research the administration of co-operatives though contacting existing co-operative associations
2. Promote the concept through exisiting community networks and Peak Oil community education program
3. Recruit a core group of volunteers to steer the project
4. Negotiate with council for access to public land
5. Explore opportunities for involving schools and employment program participants
6. Engage a permaculture design consultant to design and establish the garden through running a Permaculture Design Course available free of charge to residents of the Burnett Inland
7. Maintain the garden through working as a co-operative
8. Working volunteers would receive a free supply of garden produce
9. Surplus produce would be sold locally
10. Graduates of the PDC would form a pool of skilled volunteers able to support local residents establish private permaculture gardens, manage the cooperative garden and assist other communities in the region to establish similar projects.

Community Supported Transport

One feature of rural areas like the Burnett Inland is the lack of frequent, regular intra- and inter-community transportation. Currently there are three bus services in the region that, combined, provide inter-community transportation three days a week. Outlying areas remain completely unserviced. As the price of fuel continues to increase, it will be necessary to increase the transportation options available to all residents of the Burnett Inland. Two specific programmes can be initiated to fill these needs: car sharing and community transport clubs.

Activities

1. Research existing car share programmes and determine how the concept can be adapted to more dispersed, rural communities
2. Research Cuba's more informal use of privately owned vans and large vehicles for community transport, and determine how the concept can be formalised to create community transport clubs
3. Promote the concept through exisiting community networks and Peak Oil community education program
4. Recruit a core group of volunteers to steer the project
5. Develop, promote and implement a car share programme
   Options to explore include
   • Members who don't drive very often offer their vehicles for communal use

   • Communities coordinate to purchase vehicles specifically for car share purposes
   • Van and large vehicle owners could join the transport clubs to volunteer themselves and their vehicles to service community needs at periodic intervals
   • Community members in need could join the transport clubs to take advantage of the service in order to do shopping, get to the doctor, visit friends etc

Lobby

Lobbying government departments, industry and community groups/organisations so support the Oil Depletion Protocol and energy descent strategies.

Long term goals

Negotiation of bulk specials with suppliers of sustainable energy technologies
Energy independence of the region's emergency and public works services
Region-wide adoption of the Oil Depletion Protocol
Implementation of the ODP by way of a chronological action plan
Reactivation of the rail system for freight transfer

The next step

Our initial focus is on developing the RWBI concept and exploring options for futher strategic partnerships. We will apply for funding opportunities as they arise.