Local resilience can foil tyranny of global market

Let's face it, we're not currently sustainable - nowhere near.

We're dangerously at the mercy of economic forces beyond our control.

Witness recent job losses at Axiam Plastics, the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Land Transport, the gradual bleeding of jobs symptomatic of a wider trend towards populations gravitating to larger centres.

With a declining population, schools shrink and hospital services come under threat. The median income declines. This is already a low-income town with many folk really struggling, and it's set to get worse.

There have been troughs in the local economy over the decades, but I would suggest this is going to be different. We are enmeshed in a global financial system based upon unpayable debt. As oil prices continue to rise, so will living costs.

So what can we do about an otherwise fairly predictable decline in population and living standards? Can we evolve to create a prosperous future?

Laurence Boomert's Saturday evening talk at the Quaker Meeting House, Community Solutions for Today was a reminder that there's a lot we can do to strengthen our local economy. Time-banking, community currency and the "gift economy" are powerful tools at our disposal - we just have to learn to use them.

Home and community gardens are a great way of generating resilience against inflating food prices, since not only quality veges are shared but knowledge and experience can be too, boosting general well-being and happiness.

We can also support local businesses by putting our consumer dollars into their pockets whenever possible.

Chain stores owned by multinationals suck the financial lifeblood out of our economy.

There are local bodies promoting businesses. I would like to see a greater vision towards sustainable development based upon social equity, the environment and economy in equal measure.

We could, for example, maximise the potential of the dairy industry by developing local cheese specialities. Cottage industries are often stymied by overly stringent food laws, so more assistance with economic development is called for.

Delhi Village, the sustainable eco-development in Aramoho, has found the council planning departments helpful and encouraging of alternative systems like grey water and composting toilets. However, the district plan is behind the eight ball in not providing for subdivisions that will allow for dwellings in closer proximity than usual, a feature of affordable sustainable housing design. This is a matter to be addressed by councillors so that in future developments can progress with less red tape.

We can improve Wanganui's attractiveness and "livability" through the quality of outdoor spaces that facilitate human interactions. Preserving heritage buildings wherever possible maintains a sense of continuity with the past that can be projected into the future.

Globalisation has rendered us dependent upon a system that is simply too volatile. The solution is in localisation, in building economic resilience.

Places like Wanganui play an important role in regional economic systems. If we focus on our strong points and take advantage of the opportunities we can become a stable centre of development and take a vital role in shaping a sustainable future for our region.

Hadi Gurton is a founding trustee of Sustainable Whanganui and teaches Zero Waste Education in schools.