Going green at the core: Mason Branch in-front of the Little Theatre
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
Once I was blind, and now I see. When Korokoro resident Mason Branch saw Dr Stephen Henry talk about sustainability his ?eyes were opened?. ?I rolled my eyes at attending the forum because sustainability was in the title. ?It sounds silly, but he just made it sound blokey. ?There wasn?t any of that naysayers stuff about the world ending, it was very simple and easy to understand, and very achievable,? says Mr Branch. As a member of the Petone Community Board, Mr Branch attended a sustainability forum in Christchurch that made him feel obliged ?to do things better than before?. He has organised for Canterbury University?s Dr Henry to speak at a public forum on September 15 and is surprised at the positive response from the Council. ?The Council response has been great, they have really run with it,? he says. With the Hutt City Council looking to start some major re-developments in the city, Mr Mason wants ?sustainability to be the core culture in the valley?. ?If we make environmentalism and sustainability the main issues [of the re-development] then we can build our town and CBD around those issues. ?The Council need to take this seriously, if we do that it will change the entire culture of the Hutt Valley,? he says. The frameworks Dr Henry discusses are a good way to manage the city?s future, says Mr Mason. Dr Henry?s insights clearly demonstrate the problem of demand for resources exceeding supply, and display straightforward ways this can be avoided. Making the Hutt City a ?showcase? of sustainability would turn it into a world class city attraction, he says. ?It?s not about the sky falling on our heads side of it, it?s about what we can do now,? he says. "Hutt 2030: what we can learn from other communities" with Dr Stephen Henry will be held at the Little Theatre, September 15, 7.00-9.00pm, free admittance.
