Sustainable Communities SA Inc. (SCSA) is a non-profit, membership-based organisation located in South Australia with members in the Adelaide metropolitan area and country areas around the state. It was established in 2008 when a group of concerned citizens came together to find how they could help solve the global climate change issues at a local level.
How is the organisation funded?
Sustainable Communities receives annual membership fees as well as financial support from the South Australian Government.
Organisation activities and events
Since 2008, SCSA has operated the following activities:
- Essential edibles is a food swap which occurs once a month at Joslin Reserve in Norwood, Payneham, St. Peter council.
- Grow, Grow, Grow your Own is an initiative by a group of Unley residents to promote self-sufficiency in food production
- One Planet Market is a monthly food market where local residents come together to swap or sell produce they have grown in their own backyard.
- Repair Cafe Unley and more recently Repair Cafe Payneham are initiatives by a group of dedicated volunteers to teach the art and skill in repairing items to bring them back to their once useful purpose. Repair Cafe Payneham meets at the same time as the One Planet Market.
Recent changes
In 2017 SCSA underwent a review of their purpose as an organisation. It had been successful at supporting activities such as the One Planet Market in Norwood, Payneham, St. Peters as well as Grow, Grow, Grow Your Own in Unley. Because of its not for profit status, it could offer informal groups the ability to be auspiced in order to apply and manage council and State government grants.
Since this change in aim, SCSA has auspiced a number of projects including:
- Adelaide Hills Science Hub, launched in 2018, provides science experience
- Adopt a spot scheme is a group which organises regular waste collection minimise pollution of the waterways
- Boomerang Bags Adelaide produces cloth bags to reduce the use of plastic single use bags and its impact on the environment
- Burnside’s A’Buzz is a local organisation funded in part by Burnside Council to promote the awareness of importance of bees
- Essential edibles is a food swap group which meets regularly at Joslin Reserve in Norwood, Payneham and St. Peter’s council
- Seacliff Community Produce Swap is a monthly food swap where residents meet to trade produce and gardening tips
- Waste Free Westies is a community initiative to reduce suburban home waste by sharing ideas, knowledge and inspiration for a society free of waste
Local branches
Sustainable communities has branched out to have branches in Mitcham, Mount Gambier and district, Norwood, Payneham and St. Peters, and Onkaparinga
Communicating with Sustainable Communities SA
You can reach SCSA at their contact page or by e-mailing to info@sustainablecommunitiessa.org.au.