About

IN AN ERA when most of the world’s people live in towns and cities, it is only common sense that we make those centres humane, sustainable and creative places where we can enjoy the best that city life has to offer.

Making a modest contribution towards this is the focus of my work, whether that takes the form of assisting citizen initiatives, working on policy development and implementation with local government or in social enterprise.

My earlier life had taken me in the direction of adventure sports and training, however developing a background in journalism, international development, community education and community enterprise has led me to focus on urban landuse and urban food systems. These can meet the needs of people at the same time they develop the social capital that supports community self-help, social innovation and the creation of livable cities.

Empowered by the new collaborative tools of digital culture combined with new approaches that encourage participation in civic life, we now have better, smarter and more inclusive ways for communities to take positive action for themselves. We have the means, the motivation and the opportunity to make our cities true engines of creativity, democracy and civic engagement.

There is much to be gained when citizens and their local governments find ways to work together, and there is a great deal to be gained when communities take self-help initiatives for themselves. I think we can move forward in both directions where there is the will, the capacity and the motivation, and I am thankful to be a small part of this.

For me, the path to sustainable cities and engaged citizenship can be summarized by this continuum:

  • collaborate in prototyping innovative community-based solutions
  • create those solutions as workable, replicable and scaleable ideas
  • share those solutions freely with those who want learn
  • cooperate with others to change their neighborhoods and their lives for the better
  • make, build and spread those solutions, whether they are physical, visible things or the invisible relationships and collaborations that make things happen…

collaborate > create > share > cooperate > make

The Pacific-Edge website reports mainly on issues of sustainable urbanism and community enterprise and makes excursions into travel, international development and other areas. The Memoir section was started following discussions with an old friend about how first person accounts of life during recent past decades are few and to record a personal oral history for those with an interest in such arcane matters.

Background—Russ Grayson…

Current activity:

  • review of Living Smart manual (for community sustainability education course)
  • production of booklets on community-based urban agriculture, urban permaculture design & education
  • editing of reports on farm produce and markets as part of work with regional development consultancy, TerraCircle Inc
  • team member organising national convergence of Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
  • Food Connect Sydney—’City Cousin’ distributor for weekly food box service; Food Connect is a social enterprise operating as a community-supported-agriculture enterprise linking Sydney region farmers with city eaters through provision of a weekly box of in-season, mainly certified or uncertified organic food.

Affiliations: Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance; Sydney Food Fairness Alliance; Permaculture Australia; TerraCircle Inc (regional international development consultancy), Transition Sydney.

  • accredited Transition trainer
  • qualified permaculture design educator.

Policy development, advisory and other roles in community-based urban agriculture & food systems…

Community Gardens & Landcare Coordinator, City of Sydney—implemented the City’s Community Garden Policy, community grants advice, internal advice including:

  • Sydney City Farm project
  • community garden start-ups & liaison
  • Landcare revegetation
  • assistance to community food systems
  • edible footpath gardening development
  • networking & education programs.

Production of community garden policy and policy direction documents for:

  • Marrickville Council
  • Kogarah Council
  • Randwick City council.

Consultation on community garden development, governance etc for:

  • steering committee for the Water Wise Trail of the Randwick Sustainability Education Hub (a Randwick City Council development)
  • documenter, Randwick Sustainabilty Hub construction project
  • Bellingen Council
  • Blacktown Council, as part of team assisting with community garden start-up, plan of management development and training
  • City of Sydney (consulting on community garden start-up, troubleshooting etc)
  • Coffs Harbour Council—new community garden assessment, governance process
  • Warringah Council
  • Mid-Mountains Community Garden start-up
  • advisory panel for local government Urban Sustainability Program grant (Sydney Eastern Suburbs)
  • Coogee Community Garden start-up/plan of management development (governance and land management)
  • proposed Manly community garden
  • strategic planning for various other community garden start-ups.

Presentations & speaking engagements:

  • Pacific Food Security & Climate Change seminar, Pacific Calling Partnerships, University of Technology, Sydney 2012
  • placemaking workshop, Randwick Sustainability Hub, 2012
  • Community Gardens conference, Canberra University, 2011
  • Plains To Plate Future of Food Convergence, 2010, Adelaide
  • Food Summit, 2009, Sydney (Sydney Food Fairness Alliance)
  • Hungry For Change Public Forum, 2009, Sydney (organising team, Sydney Food Fairness Alliance)
  • Food and the City, 2010, Parramatta (What Makes a Good City symposium, United Theological College)
  • Tasmanian Community Gardening Network, 2010
  • public presentation of community food systems, Bellingen Memorial Hall, 2010
  • Local Solutions to Global Food Issues (Parliament of World Religions 2009)
  • panelist, The Power of Community seminar, 2008, (Byron Bay Community Centre with Roberto Perez-urban agriculturist, Havana, Cuba and Robert Pekin-Food Connect Foundation)
  • volunteering in community gardens, Ravenswood School for Girls, Gordon, NSW, 2009
  • Food and the City; facilitator, Conversations With Authors (Randwick Ecoliving Fair, 2007, 2009—Randwick City Council) + facilitator, Conversations With Innovators (Randwick Ecoliving Fair 2008)
  • presentation on permaculture design at Sydney Environmental Educators’ Network conference, 2007.

Journalism, editing & media:

  • Living Smart Action Guide—localising the manual to Sydney for use in the Living Smart course being piloted by Randwick City Council
  • writing, editing of international development training manuals and other productions for TerraCircle Inc for use by South Pacific agricultural trainers in food security programs
  • editor, Community Harvest, journal of the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
  • editor, Lettuce Express, journal of the Macarthur Cente for Sustainable Living
  • website content production, Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.

Sustainability education:

  • educator, Living Smart and Sustainable Gardening courses for Randwick City Council
  • organising team, Sydney speaking engagement of US economist and local economic systems advocate, Michael Shuman at Food For Thought conference
  • organiser/educator, Urban Permaculture Design Certificate courses
  • educator, Organic Gardening course, City East Community College
  • educator, permaculture course, southern suburbs evening college
  • educator, permaculture design elective, Ryde College of TAFE
  • Landcare Educator, Calmsley Hill City Farm

International development:

Current…

  • Media production and project work with TerraCircle Inc consultancy, Solomon Islands/Australia.
Past…
  • Projects and Development Education Officer, APACE (NGO inplementing AusAID projects in Solomon Islands and PNG)
  • project manager, Can Care Lae—metals recycling and small business project in PNG.

Other:

  • Food Connect Sydney (community supported agriculture social enterprise), City Cousin distribution coordinator
  • Board of directors, Permaculture International Ltd (now Permaculture Australia) 2000-2002; 2008-2011
  • Board of directors, Manly Food Co-operative 2007-2009.