The 12^th annual Randwick City Council Eco-Living Fair is the only time you’ll find bees, bugs, books and bikes in the same place, all in the name of sustainability.

Hosted at Randwick Community Centre on Sunday, 4 September, the 2016 Eco-Living Fair is the ultimate way to learn how to reduce your impact on the Planet, with practical workshops and demonstrations showing kids and their families how to conserve energy and water, as well as ways to ‘reduce, re-use, recycle and recover’  around the home, school or workplace.

Plus, this year’s Eco-Living Fair is the perfect place to take Dad on Father’s Day with electric cars and bikes, solar panel and battery storage technologies, wood turning, gardening and wood-fired pizza demonstrations, not to mention lots of fun children’s and family entertainment.

Mayor of Randwick, Noel D’Souza, said sustainability was a key component of Randwick City Council’s commitment to the community and the Eco-Living Fair provides a unique opportunity to showcase some simple and practical tips for residents to reduce their ecological footprint.

“There is nothing more precious than our environment and here in Randwick City, we all need to work together to make the community a more sustainable place to live, work, visit and play.

“The Eco-Living Fair is powered by renewable forms of energy including wind, solar and bio-diesel.  Plus, we’re even giving away 3,000 trees to residents to help offset the carbon used in the event’s infrastructure delivery and operation.  It’s truly the ultimate sustainable event and I encourage families to come and join us to find out the fun ways you can integrate sustainable practices in your home,” said Mayor D’Souza.

This year’s Eco-Living Fair will feature: 

• ‘Speed Date’ a Sustainability Expert:  20 specialists in sustainability will be available to ask all your burning questions about sustainability with everything from how to build a more sustainable home, install solar power and battery storage systems, grow your own eco garden, how to become a beekeeper to sustainable practices for strata-titled buildings, as well as day-to-day household tips to make your home more environmentally friendly.  Bookings are essential.

• Live performances:  Hear the freshest bunch of singing vegetable super-beings, The Vegetable Plot, which includes loved characters, Aspara Gus, Rockit Lettuce, Collie Flower, Blowbergine and Sir Paul McCarrotney.

• Gardening:  Demonstrations include no-dig gardens, growing veggies from pots, growing your own herbal tea and biodynamic gardening methods.

• Pizza making and pickling demonstrations:  Try delicious wood-fired pizza made with ingredients from the Interpretative Permaculture Garden on location at the Randwick Sustainability Hub and find out how to pickle at home.

• Natural pest control:  Visit the Good Bug Bistro and discover the bugs that can help with pest management to rebalance your backyard or garden ecosystems.

• Compost, worm farming and seed saving demonstrations:  Find out how to make the most of your compost and how to create the ultimate worm farm.

• Backyard chooks and bee-keeping:  Get chicken coop advice and find out about bee-keeping in your home.

• Book exchange:  Bring your pre-loved books and swap them for your next good read.

• Market stalls:  Browse a wide selection of handmade jewellery, clothing, homewares, antique collectables and more.

• Eco-information stalls:  Pop past and find out everything about solar heating and lighting, water tank installation, animal rescue, home energy and eco-friendly products for your home.

• Food trucks:  Taste some of the savoury delights on offer, including organic street food, Cuban sandwiches, chorizo rolls, fresh lemonade, ice cream and organic coffee.

The 2016 Eco-Living Fair will be open between 9:30am and 3pm at the Randwick Community Centre (27 Munda Street, Randwick) on Sunday, 4 September.