MEDIA RELEASE 
4 June 2015

South Australia’s new community environment space launches on eve of World Environment Day

The site of the old Central Bus Station at 111 Franklin Street has been transformed into a green oasis in the heart of Adelaide called The Joinery.

Conservation Council SA, the state’s peak environment organisation, has a three year lease to ‘reactivate’ the site from Adelaide City Council.

The plans for The Joinery include Common Ground community gardens, solar and water-wise demonstrations and a bikes-for-refugees workshop outside, and a café and community kitchen, environmental exhibitions and community meeting and event spaces inside.

“Place is critically important to community making,” said Conservation SA’s Chief Executive Craig Wilkins. “Every community needs its village squares: places to talk excitedly, laugh together, learn new things and share ideas. The Joinery is just that place to connect South Australians who want to create a better future together.”

 “We are about creating and demonstrating a better life, that also happens to be more sustainable. As an organisation we would much rather beguile and excite than bludgeon and shame.

“The Joinery has already been embraced by the community with hundreds of volunteer hours already contributed to help create it. We have also received strong support from business and industry. The generosity of spirit that has underpinned the Joinery’s beginnings are a great indicator of its future impact.”

As the ‘front door’ for the environment movement, The Joinery is home to several other environment groups and organisations who have also moved their offices into the building, including Conservation Volunteers Australia and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, and a volunteer-run Adelaide Natural Resource Centre funded by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board. 

“South Australia faces great environmental challenges. The Joinery is a space to help increase awareness of this in the community, but also promote emerging solutions and clever new ideas and technologies,” said Mr Wilkins.

The official event tonight is in time for The Joinery to be launched for World Environment Day tomorrow (Friday).

His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia, and Mrs Le, and Minister for Environment the Hon Ian Hunter MLC will be involved in the formal proceedings tonight.    

Release Ends