Katoomba Area Local NewsStrengthening community, healing Country, and restoring the health of our planet.
The Blue Mountains Zine Fair
Estee Sarsfield, who started the Mtns Zine Club in 2022
Visiting the Blue Mountains Zine Fair was exhilarating! On Saturday 29th March it was a grey wet day in Katoomba, but from the moment we stepped out of the lift at the Cultural Centre, we felt as though we’d been hit by an explosion of creativity, warmth, joy and proof that ‘the resistance’ to the destructive forces at play in our world is alive, well and spreading infectiously.
Key Points:
Zines are small, handmade independent ‘magazines’ that are not-for-profit and made for love.
The zine community is creative, inclusive and welcoming.
The Mtns Zine Club meets on the third Sunday of each month from 1.30-3.30pm at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre (27th April this month because of the holidays)
Like our hyperlocal news sites in every neighbourhood, zines offer an alternative to mainstream publishing and news, that’s not-for-profit and made for love!
They are generally small hand-made magazines, but what the Zine Fair demonstrated was that diversity is celebrated in every way in the zine community and that there are many ways to communicate complex ideas and emotions, to express your creativity, and to have fun!
At the Fair there was even an opportunity to participate in creating a collaborative Megazine:
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Zine Fair, which we got our first glimpse of as we stepped out of the crowded lift, was the wide age range of those attracted to zines.
The Fair included 72 tables of zine makers of all ages, and the Cultural Centre was buzzing with young people attracted to the event.
Elka Hay and Marnie Tomczyk
Elka Hay, one of the younger members of the Zine Club, who was demonstrating how she makes her zines at the Fair, is attracted to zine making because “you can do whatever you want. It is really creative.”
As well as very young and first-time zine makers, the Fair also included pioneers of zine culture in Australia like Vanessa Berry, author of Calendar, and the long-running zine series I Am a Camera (2000-present). Her works are held are held in the collections of many zine libraries in Australia and around the world.
The Mtns Zine Club, which organized the event, meets on the third Sunday of each month (but 27 April this month), and attracts between 25 and 40 participants of all ages.
These social meetings are an opportunity to both make and swap zines at the Cultural Centre, with materials and tea and coffee provided, and an opportunity to become part of this welcoming and inclusive creative community.
If you missed the Fair you can always pop in to the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre to pick up a zine from the Zine Dispensary:
Take Action:
Support zine makers by purchasing a zine from the Zine Dispensary at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
Drop in to a meeting of the Mtns Zine Club at the Cultural Centre on the third Sunday of the month to learn more.
Global poisoning by a tsunami of toxins that are flooding the planet is fast becoming the biggest threat to life on earth. Extreme weather events like fire and flood accelerate this chemical pollution. To address this the Planetary Health Centre`s Full Cycle 2025 conference from 20-22 Nov is bringing together leading experts in managing extreme weather events as well as those who are working on reducing the risk of hazardous materials like asbestos and PFAS. According to keynote speaker Julian Cribb:
"The poisoning of our planet through human chemical emissions is arguably the largest human impact of all upon the Earth. In volume, it is four to five times greater than our climate emissions (which are a part of it), and three times more lethal than the estimated climate death-toll. It is the mega-threat least understood by society, monitored by science or regulated by government. It has mainly occurred over the last 50 years, due to a massive global surge in chemical use and materials extraction.
Scientific assessment has identified more than 350,000 man-made chemicals. The US Department of Health estimates 2000 new chemicals go on the market every year and the Smithsonian says 1000 new compounds are now being synthesised every hour. The UN Environment Program warns about a third of these “are persistent, able to accumulate in humans and animals and are toxic”.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 13.7 million people — one in every four — die each year from diseases caused by “air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and ultraviolet radiation”, caused by human activity.
Human chemical emissions are thus responsible for the largest mass killing in history.
Learn more and register for the conference here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
There will be a free community expo on Saturday 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba.
Conference volunteers receive free registration. Email [email protected] if you’d like to volunteer at this critically important event.
T`ai-chi and Qigong routines can increase mobility and strength, improve immunity and help build an inner calm. To get the greatest health impact you need to practice them on a regular basis, so we`re thrilled to now be offering a 6-week block of classes to take you into summer starting 9am this Saturday 1 November and running until Sat 6 December. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4qrw4Nx This Saturday, 1 November, the activity is also the first in a full day of Skill Share activities at the Centre that includes Seed Saving and Gardening from 10am, and Planetary Health Bushcare from 1.30pm. You can book in for Bushcare here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo Contact Lis on 0407 437 553 for more information.
Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be meeting again at the Planetary Health Centre at 6pm on Monday 27 October. Register at this link if you`d like to attend! (link in profile) https://events.humanitix.com/rotarians-4-planetary-health-l7bb4qhr?
Thank you to everyone who popped by for the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains today! It was a great day discussing gardens, ponds, frogs, seeds, composting seats, wicking beds and how to restore the hydrological cycle! Next Saturday will be our Skill Share Saturday. We`ll be kickstarting a 6-week block of Tai Chi & Qigong at 9am, launching our Seed Saving and Gardening Group at 10am and running our monthly Bushcare Group at 1.30pm. You can book in for Tai Chi here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/tai-chi-and-qigong-six-week-block-spring-2025-qaw2ts2v and to Bushcare here (link also in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-bushcare-spring-summer-2025
The Planetary Health Centre is on the Edible Garden Trail today! Last week we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group. Come along to learn more, enjoy a coffee in our garden, and pick up a free Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guide. We`re open from 10am. You can find us at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Tickets for the Edible Garden Trail available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-edible-garden-trail-2025
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out. Read about three days of innovation at the upcoming Full Cycle Conference in Nov, the Edible Garden Trail this weekend, and a six week block of Tai Chi and Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47jbFBz
Today is an Extreme Bushfire Danger Day! Have you heard about the extraordinary fire resistant paint developed by Professor Yeoh and his team at UNSW? Professor Yeoh will be presenting at our Full Cycle Conference on Thurs 20 November. He is world renowned in the field of fire safety and his innovations are helping to keep people and property safe. Importantly among these innovations has been the development and commercialisation of FSA FIRECOAT paint (sold at Bunnings), which creates a protective insulating ‘char’ on a building when it’s exposed to flames. It is water based and non toxic. Watch it in action in this video (link in profile): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkA1RlxMjWQ
Join us at the Conference to learn more about Professor Yeoh’s work during three days of innovation and exploration in which leading speakers from around Australia will share how we can reduce the risks of natural hazards and hazardous materials. Places are limited so register here now (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
With new modelling suggesting a hot summer with increasing fire risk it`s worth making time now to learn more about how we can reduce the risk of disaster by registering to attend the Full Cycle Conference that`s bringing together the Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conferences in Katoomba on 20-22nd Nov. Group discounts apply if you register now here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
• Emma Whale from the NSW Reconstruction Authority will discuss how state-wide and place-based disaster adaptation planning is helping reduce risk;
• David Sanderson, the inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, will share the results of a landmark enquiry on how our response to disasters requires a change in housing policy and local government empowerment;
• Owen Price, Director of The Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at UOW will compare the patterns of housing loss in the NSW and Californian wildfires;
• Guan Heng Yeoh from UNSW will share how he developed the award winning FIRECOAT fire resistant paint;
• Everson Kandare from RMIT University will discuss the development of fireproof cladding made from molasses-cultured mycelium - a fungal biomass;
• Alan Green from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre UOW will introduce Heatwave and Multi-Hazard Resilience Star Rating Tools for retrofitting houses;
• Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities and Dr Kim Loo from Doctors for the Environment will discuss heat waves and social justice;
• Andrew Bovis from Integrated Water Solutions will discuss the potential use of treated blackwater as an independent water source for landscape hydration and fire fighting;
• Sara Jane Wilkinson from UTS will launch the Bushfire Retrofitting Toolkit for older Australians and do a session on green roofs and walls to reduce disaster risk and increase biodiversity;
• Melissa Knothe Tate will discuss research on tackling PFAS contamination;
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair today. It was an inspiring and thought provoking day with lots learnt, many connections made, amazing food consumed and stunning weather! We look forward to doing it again next year!
The inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair kicks off at 9am today at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Pop in to listen to a talk, watch a demo, grab a coffee and sweet treat from Good Fat Pastry, a delicious lunch from Bibi`s Kitchen, fresh mushrooms from EarthRising Mushroom Farm, locally acclimatised vegetable seeds from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, and edible native plants from Muru Mittigar Ltd You can view the full program here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St (former Katoomba Golf Course).
The Fair is a World Animal Day event and has been supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association of Environmental Educators.
A huge thank you to Richard Burrell from Muru Mittigar Native Nursery who delivered us the following edible natives to sell at our Food Security Fair on Saturday 18th October:
Apple Berry Finger Lime Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia Midgen Berry Native Leek Native Parsnip Native Raspberry Female and male Pepper Berry Vanilla Lily Yam Daisy
You can view the full program for the Food Security Fair here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle
We`re thrilled that EarthRising Mushroom Farm will be at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair this Sat 18 Oct with their fabulous fresh mushrooms, mushroom grow kits and other mushroom products. Alex can help you get started on mushroom growing and let you know more about the mushroom compost you can pick up from the Farm in Lawson. View the full program for the day here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Fair is at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre: 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba (former Katoomba Golf Course)
Dave Spees, Katoomba-based carpenter and founder of Against the Grain, has turned the by-product of his craft into a sustainable, sought-after winter fuel. His compressed sawdust briquettes are now helping to heat homes across the Blue Mountains, all while dramatically reducing landfill waste.
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