Fusion Canberra – Sustainability from Fusion Western Sydney on Vimeo.We have a firm belief that a healthy community is a sustainable community. A firm believer in the concept of the triple bottom line, we particularly are concerned about the social side of sustainability, but also the other areas of environment and economic.From research and advocacy and lobbying government, we are concerned about food sustainability and security, as well as climate change.

Fusion Sustainability Education Centre

Emerging from our 17 years operating a community garden and horticulture program, as well as a growing conviction that much of what Fusion does in a community is to build sustainability – we developed a vision in 2009 for the establishment of a Fusion Sustainability Education Centre.The vision we have for this centre is:“To establish and operate a centre for the study of sustainable futures with a particular focus on practical, grass-root responses to issues such as food security, water security, the building of social cohesion and social inclusion. The centre would have a local, regional, national and global focus. It would work from the premise that by providing an individual with purpose and community this enables them to become resilient and better able to cope with the crises life brings. The values of innovative action and authentic community would underpin all of the centre’s action.”We have refined the vision since then and now see such a centre as a place in Canberra where school groups could come to have hands on experiences of food production, recycling, gardening, training on food security, sustainable practices, mentoring, mens sheds, kids sheds, etc.qt57890One of our business partners (Small Quinton Coleman Architects) donated the time and expertise to develop a Concept Master Plan which you can see here. We need a site with long term secure tenure in an accessible part of Canberra that is at least 4 hectares in size. We are still looking for the right site. In the meantime, we are developing as much of our Sustainability Education Centre vision at our Kambah youth and community hub behind the Carleton St Shops.

Aquaponics

Simply described as the marriage of aquaculture (growing fish in tanks) and hydroponics (growing plants not in soil), we believe aquaponics is a food production technology who’s time has come.

Research and Advocacy

We are continually interested in answers to the questions “What is going on in this community?” and “What are the needs for this community and it’s residents?”. This is why we are interested in research – by others and from time to time research initiated by us. Out of this comes the opportunity to advocate and sensitize others to the needs around them including community organizations, churches, individuals as well as government and political leaders. Current Research activities: 

• Kambah Community Profile: We commenced the planning and scoping phase of this community research profile in late April 2012. We will be interviewing key community leaders in stakeholder organizations, conducting quantitative research looking at statistics about Kambah, and possibly conducting some surveys to compile a snapshot of the needs of Kambah.