Lindsey Aceto

Student ID: 44766408

Permaculture is an abbreviation for permanent agriculture which can be as simple and
easy as starting a garden of your own. Permaculture is a part of a bigger sustainability
movement, and the most practiced method, known as Agroecology, which is a more ecological
alternative to industrial agriculture (Hathaway, 2015). A specific Permaculture project has
blossomed in North Sydney where you can take classes taught by specialists, and gain a range of
skills in permaculture including sustaining your own garden, self reliance, and community
development which began in 1992. This organization has many local groups including Northern
Beaches, Hornsby, Pittwater, Warringah, Manly, Mosman, Willoughby, Ryde/Hunters Hill, Lane
Cove, and Ku-Ring-Gai. Permaculture Sydney North offers many classes and workshops to
members, and discounts to other workshops. These local groups, however, are still allowed to
branch out and focus on their own local goals and projects. Permaculture Sydney North, along
with other permaculture communities, follow principles which gives its members knowledge on
observing the Earths natural system for planting and growing foods, science, energy and water
conservation, and sustainable food practices. Sydney North has meetings four times a year with
Sydney West and Sydney South to discuss Sydney wide issues and National Permaculture Day in
Australia (Permaculture North).
Positive aspects of permaculture within Sydney are the long term affects it will have on
the environment. Growing your crops locally reduces having to transport your goods from one
area of the country, or even the world, to your local grocery store. When your food no longer has
to be transported from one area of the world to another, then the amount of carbon emissions can
be lowered significantly. Continuing in this effect, there are more areas of the country that no
longer need to be consumed for industrial agricultural use and can be open area used for other
sustainable reasons such as conservation habitats. When growing your own food you are less
likely to waste the fresh food grown in your garden, the food you worked hard to maintain and
keep healthy, compared to the fresh food you purchased at the local grocery store. Food in
Sydney is the largest consumptive resource profile standing at a total of 43.3% out of every other
resource. With over s of Australians living in major cities and over 60% of New South Wales
population residing in Sydney, permaculture is one of the best options for a sustainable future
that many generations. Many urban farms within the Sydney region are under threat due
intensive agriculture trying to feed this city; there is now a nutrient depletion, erosion, and
possible contamination problem within once very fertile soils. Even living in cities you can still
grow small plants and vegetables in something as small as a window box. When cutting down
the need for industrial agriculture and learning to be self sufficient with a sustainable lifestyle,
the effects of climate change on Earth will be less prevalent (Lecture 5 PowerPoint).
Some possible stakeholders within this project could be members of different committees
within the organization such as the garden, communications, living skills, seed savers, shows and
education teams. Other stakeholders could possibly be the president and CEO of Permaculture
Sydney North. The current president is Margaret Mossakowska who currently works as a
Sustainability Consultant at Moss House in the Sydney region. Mossakowska is currently a

sustainability consultant and lifestyle coach, she has said in an interview, The passion I feel
about healthy, natural living has led me to sharing my knowledge and skills with others through
workshops designed to empower them and to gain confidence in their abilities to live healthier.
The relationship Mossakowska has with this organization is pretty straight forward with her
passion being helping people live a sustainable and healthy lifestyle (LinkedIn).
One of the cofounders of Permaculture is Bill Mollison. Mollison is an Australian
researcher who is considered the Father of Permaculture. He is the founder of Permaculture
Sydney North and has spread permaculture throughout Australia, Africa and South America. The
idea of permaculture began after Mollison wrote his first book, Permaculture One and began
giving lectures around the world discussing this natural and easy way to grow your own crops in
a way that would be beneficial for years to continue. Following Mollisons lectures, he
encouraged his students to teach about permaculture which most of his grad students now help
organize the local permaculture groups throughout Australia and other parts of the world. The
other co-founder of permaculture is David Holmgren, who was a student of Bill Mollison, is an
environmental designer, and educator. In Holmgrens website there are methods of successful
permaculture and different articles discussing sustainability and the environment (Holmgren).
Both of these men have written numerous books on the benefits of permaculture and how to be
successful in the process.
Another possible stakeholder within Permaculture Sydney is Geoff Lawton. Lawton has
established The Permaculture Institute of Sydney where members of Permaculture Sydney North
which is a registered charity and global networking basis for permaculture projects, where
members or non members can take classes to expand their knowledge of a more sustainable
community. Classes are available to whoever wants to invest their money into gaining
knowledge on different permaculture ways such as A Sustainability Poultry Workshop,
Permaculture Design, etc. These classes are usually either a day or two filled with interacting
courses with professionals (Permaculture Sydney Institute, 2015).
Sydney North can be considered a stakeholder considering helps bring a community
together united under a passion of living and eating healthy and promoting locally grown crops.
In terms of decision making, the individual communities come together to discuss local problems
and have discussions on what to set as goals. The stakeholders involved with the decision
making process would be the individual committees such as garden, communications, living
skills, seed savers, and education. They are a reason the community is growing towards
sustainability and helps add to the local profit within Sydney. Stakeholders within Permaculture
Sydney North are volunteers since it is a non-profit organization, if the stakeholders were not
passionate about a sustainable lifestyle and creating a better environment then they do not have
to be involved (Permaculture North).
Ways that Permaculture was implemented within the community began in 1978, right
around the time climate change and global warming was introduced and while industrial
agriculture was at an all time high. Permaculture designs are meant to be placed properly so they
work well with the environment to get the maximum amount of energy and crops. Permaculture
is now known throughout Australia thanks to Holmgren endorsing the Australian Permaculture

Magazine, or Pip Magazine. Many stakeholders that are involved with local permaculture groups
were either inspired by Mollisons books, lectures or they were his graduate students that he
inspired to teach on their own. Mollison has said: "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with,
rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and
thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating
any area as a single product system."(Wikipedia,2015).
The success rate of this project seems to be very high, with a total of approximately 800
active members with Sydney North alone, meetings and workshops on a weekly basis, and
several newsletters and multiple local groups involved this group will only flourish.
Permaculture is not only a Sydney based project, it is flourishing throughout the Southern
Hemisphere. Other reasons this sustainability project will succeed is because more and more
people are becoming aware of the growing problem of climate change. Climate Change is
happening and if nothing is addressed we will only have a positive feedback loop. With this loop
everything will be affected including our food. If we have the opportunity to reduce the effects of
climate change by simply growing a portion of our food and finding healthy ways to do it that
flow with the environment, there is no reason this wouldnt be a success. It all starts with the
little steps within a community, and Sydney North promotes children being involved and
learning about permaculture. Permaculture Sydney North promotes children being involved and
includes a kids facts sheet that includes how they can contribute to this organization. If they are
taught at a young age to recycle, ways to grow their own food that works well with the
environment, and water conservation then they begin to live and know that sustainable lifestyle.
The environment will change and improve as soon as we make those efforts. We made the effort
to destroy and overuse resources on Earth, now Permaculture Sydney North is making an effort
towards a sustainable planet (Permaculture North).
Overall, permaculture as a whole has various stakeholders that take the role of teaching
workshops and stepping up to become president of that permaculture community. Within
Permaculture Sydney North the stakeholders involved are because they have a passion for a
healthy and sustainable lifestyle. They are there to educate and improve the communitys impact
on climate change. As for the rate of success, it is very high and will only grow and spread
throughout the community.

References
Permaculture Sydney North. Permaculture North. Wild Apricot, 1992. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.
<http://permaculturenorth.org.au/>.
Permaculture Sydney Institute | Quality Education for Quality of Life. Permaculture Sydney
Institute. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. <http://www.permaculturesydneyinstitute.org/>.
Lecture 5 PowerPoint.
Mark D. Hathaway
Journal: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2015
DOI: 10.1007/s13412-015-0254-8
Permaculture." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture>.

"Holmgren Permaculture Design for Sustainable Living." Web log post. Holmgen.com.au. N.p.,
2015. Web. 20 Aug. 2015. <http://holmgren.com.au/>.

LinkedIn." Sign Up. LinkenIn Cooperation, n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2015.

<https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=97155158&authType=name&authToken=4EbO>.