Below are some change-agent activities that I am or have been involved in, created or support materially or otherwise.

Australia, like all regions of the world, needs to become as self-sufficient as possible before its foreign resource requirements are accurately and efficiently understood and estimated. At home – literally and domestically – I am ‘off grid’ within reason. To me, that means moving out of the debt-based monetary system and the detrimental food and energy industry to more positive systems such as mutual credit, slow food and fashion and distributed, renewable energy.

Some of these campaigns end, others continue and evolve. The main theme is sustainability, social well-being and resolving root-causes to systemic problems rather than band-aid charity work.

STOP STATE CAPTURE

Constitutional reform is needed to rectify the disconnect between public policy (parliament) and public opinion. I have spent considerable time identifying two key reforms that are needed to improve accountability in our democracy.

STRATEGIC VOTING FOR THE UNCOMMITTED

Understanding preferential voting in Australia is vital to sending your message to parliament, especially if the candidates don’t represent you.

STOP BIG AUSTRALIA

The people of Australia want their Federal government to abandon Big Australia. All the polls show it. Sustainable Population Australia is leading the charge and I’m part of it. SPA is an independent not-for-profit organization seeking to protect the environment and our quality of life by ending population growth in Australia and globally, while rejecting racial supremacy and involuntary population control. Infinite growth on a finite continent and planet is impossible. Shifting from GDP growth as a measure of success to per capita GDP growth is a first step. I am also a member of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE). A plebiscite would provide an explicit mandate to stabilize Australia’s population. Here’s how it works.

INTENTIONAL SPELLING CHANGE

Start spelling more intuitively, confidently and independently by becoming an informed spelling change-maker.

FIXED CALENDAR

Start using a simpler, perrenial calendar using my non-digital conversion table for a FIXED CALENDAR. Even Financial Markets get confused by the Gregorian Calendar.

GENDER NEUTRAL IT

As a language change-maker, I seek to broaden the meaning of the word it to include people. No offense is intended by the use of the pronoun it in reference to a person (if they happen to be within ear-shot, which is very rare by virtue of it being a third person pronoun).

AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

Choosing between a British King and an Australian President is a false dichotomy. Consider an Australian Constitutional Monarchy. Our Commonwealth is a republic and has been acquiring ever more independent power since Federation Day 1901. Let’s celebrate it every year. Australia Day on the 26th of January is an interesting conversation – let’s not avoid it. There’s much more to our National Flag than you might think. Our National Anthem has a lot going for it, but the lyrics are not quite there. Ignoring our anniversaries, our bicentenaries, is a dangerous road to cultural amnesia.

CAPRICORNIA

Capricornia ties a bow on the Commonwealth and puts the final touches to our Federation by creating a new state in the north that combines the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the northern third of Queensland. It links to North Australia’s State Border History.

COOPERS PLAINS HISTORY GROUP

Keeping knowledge of local history alive. I revived the Coopers Plains History Group in May 2023. One project I pursued for several years was the Dutch Houses & Cornerstone Living Community Garden. I maintained the community garden and lobbied for protection of a prime example of the historic Dutch Houses in Coopers Plains and Sunnybank.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Some of my submissions to city council Neighbourhood Development Plans, involvement in Brisbane-based residents groups and my efforts to contribute to the improvement of OUR Coopers Plains local neighbourhood and retail area. I have been hosting local Neighbour Days every year since 2018. Thanks to Relationships Australia.

FAIR MONEY SYSTEMS

MUTUAL CREDIT and VIABLE RIVAL CURRENCIES such as MUTUAL CREDIT ON HOLOCHAIN. My 3 years as Chair of the local LETS incorporated association, BrisLETS (2016-2019).

SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY

See Equanimity’s 2016 Open Day (one of several) in this annual event hosted by Renew (formerly Alternative Technology Association).

VISITING COMMUNITIES

I have researched, visited and worked with many intentional and sustainable communities across the country, most notably Maleny EcoVillage.

TOWN PLANNING REBELLION

Town Planning Rebellion was set-up to highlight the critical role that land-use planning must play in combating the climate and ecological emergency. It has informed my contributions to local planning consultations on the Coopers Plains Boundary Road level crossing solution and the Cornerstone Living development.

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY

Keeping the neighbourhood clean. I have run more than three events, notably on Middle Street, Coopers Plains.

BEYOND ZERO EMISSIONS

My volunteering with this ground-breaking program to make Australia carbon neutral. LISTEN to Simon ask, as a volunteer, a hard-hitting question about optimistic modelling at the Launch of the Electric Vehicle Report Q&A (fast-forward to 1:40:30)

TOLLING CHALLENGE

Transurban, the US-based company that runs our city’s road and bridge tolling systems, makes pricing difficult to find, but paying easy. I challenged Brisbane’s toll operators’ failure to clearly sign their prices at toll entrances through the ACCC, but was told their compliance by online means was adequate.

THE ZEITGEIST MOVEMENT

I co-founded the Brisbane Chapter of the Australian Chapter of The Zeitgeist Movement in 2009. I was instrumental in seeing it continue for 10 years until the then coordinator hosted Global Z-Day. Its Resource Based Economic Model is quite utopian, but the utilization of technology to free humanity from drudgery certainly isn’t. I now support Sustainable Population Australia, the Degrowth and steady-state movement.

QUEENSLAND 30 YEAR PLAN

Submissions by me on behalf of 13 other Brisbanites, my attendance at the Brisbane Summit and report on the final communique.

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