Community Environment Park

Sustainable Living Tasmania is working to establish an urban site to demonstrate sustainable living, similar to the ‘CERES’ site in Melbourne.

To provide a place in Tasmania that is an inspirational model for:

• Sustainability
• Ecological Integrity
• Social Equity
• Cultural Richness
• Community Participation

Our aims are…

• To provide Tasmania with an educational park that celebrates and nurtures cultural diversity and environmental awareness
• To showcase positive, solution-oriented, and responsible environmental practices and provide product information
• To foster community projects and encourage local action with a global perspective
• To acknowledge and celebrate cultural diversity in the community
• To recognise environmental efforts and achievements
• To be a meeting place for people with environmental concerns and expertise.

History of the Project

A Short History and Where the Project is Now

The Tasmanian project began in 2000 when Andy Townsend was inspired by CERES in Brunswick. The Australian Greenhouse Office was offering seed funding for similar projects in each state to promote Greenhouse education. Andy convened a working group which enthusiastically worked on a submission, through the Tasmanian Environment Centre.

The AGO changed its mind about the national project at the end of 2000 but the Community Environment Park planning group was committed to a park in Tasmania and convinced that the neglected and unused Beaumaris Zoo site on the Queen's Domain in Hobart was the perfect location. A Founding Donor scheme enabled the planning group to present a proposal to the Queen's Domain Advisory Committee of Hobart City Council in November 2001 and the Environmental Home Expo and several community meetings gathered substantial community and business support..

Hobart City Council accepted the Committee's recommendation that they open an expression-of-interest process for the site. This finally occurred in November 2002 and the TEC planning group again put in a proposal, in February 2003. This included landscape concept drawings by landscape architect Sue Small and environmental education centre concept by architects James Morrison and Yvette Breytenbach.

The Community Environment Park was one of four proposals for the Beaumaris Zoo site. It was not the chosen project but the group is continuing to work on locating an appropriate and accessible site both within and beyond the Hobart City municipality. It is worth noting that the project chosen for the Beaumaris site, a wildlife rehabilitation centre, has not yet started development due to funding difficulties. We have not given up hope.

The idea is too important to let go.

Contact us if you are interested in supporting the project.