Permaculture in New Zealand

Living Strategy

Updated: 2020

PiNZ Organisation Vision

Permaculture in New Zealand is a national network that promotes and empowers permaculture practice, education, activism and advocacy.

With the wisdom of ecology and ancestry, we are revitalising the life and wellbeing of our families, communities and ecosystems. Together we are nurturing a more just and beautiful world.

PiNZ Council Vision

The PiNZ Council is a small and effective group responsible for stewarding the Vision of PiNZ and enabling members of the PiNZ community to fulfil the Mission and Objectives of PiNZ.

The Council facilitates participation and collaboration, oversees the economic and legislative functions of the Society, and supports the wellbeing of the Membership.

Councillors are committed to investing their time and energy in the uplifting of PiNZ and the realisation of its potential.

Mission

To uplift the Membership of PiNZ, the permaculture movement, and Aotearoa society as a whole, by:

• Providing effective permaculture oriented networking, collaboration and information sharing infrastructure;

• Enhancing permaculture education, endorsing permaculture educators, awarding diplomas and supporting the development of different permaculture education pathways;

• Being prepared and available to offer consultation and advocacy in the public sphere;

• Promoting permaculture activities through a maintained media presence;

• Generating funding to support flax-roots permaculture activities around Aotearoa; and

• Supporting cultural healing and revitalisation in Aotearoa through the acknowledgement of He Whakaputanga and the upholding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Objectives 

• Uplift and enable widespread Permaculture education in Aotearoa New Zealand by:

• Supporting Permaculture educators in their work and professional development;

• Endorsing and advertising PiNZ Affiliated permaculture courses;

• Generate funding to offer scholarships for permaculture courses around Aotearoa New Zealand;

• Support the establishment of new permaculture education pathways both privately and within the education sector;

• Offer a reputable Permaculture Diploma programme mentored by PiNZ Members.

• Support and enable the PiNZ subcommittee known as the Permaculture Educators Guild (PEG), ensuring that it:

• Empowers peer support;

• Has effective systems for Affiliating educators;

• Has effective systems for enabling, evaluating and awarding Permaculture Diplomas;

• Has an effective Complaints & Feedback Process;

• Supports the establishment of new educational pathways.

• Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi by:

• Acknowledging the whenua [land] that holds PiNZ, the sovereignty of tangata whenua [people of the land] who allow tauiwi [non-Māori] to be here, and the impacts that colonisation has had on both land and people;

• Engaging tangata whenua in decision-making processes;

• Engaging the PiNZ Council in a Te Tiriti workshop at least once a year;

• Supporting Te Tiriti education within the permaculture community, and especially among permaculture educators;

• Supporting the inclusion of historical context, land context, Te Tiriti and the impact of colonisation in Permaculture Design Courses;

• Supporting bioregional groups in developing healthy partnerships with mana whenua;

• Honoring the whakapapa [lineage] of many of the ideas that are prevalent within permaculture practice.

• Support tangata whenua in their aims relating to sovereignty, community resilience, sustainability and food resilience by:

• Having resources and information available for access;

• Having a network of experienced Permaculturalists and consultants available to offer advice to Māori-led initiatives;

• Having a network of educators available for running courses;

• Supporting Permaculture education embedded in kaupapa Māori;

• Offer written and oral support for issues of concern for tangata whenua;

• Uplift the stories, objectives and activities of tangata whenua through the information sharing infrastructure of PiNZ.

• Uplift the professional development of Permaculture designers and practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand by:

• Establishing the Permaculture Professional Designer’s network;

• Support Permaculture designers to share practice and learnings;

• Support and generate educational opportunities for permaculture designers and practitioners.

• Develop and maintain a financially robust economic model that:

• Is not dependent on the Annual Permaculture Hui for income;

• Maintains an annually increasing income;

• Maintains cash reserves;

• Is governed by a sound Financial Policy;

• Enables financial reciprocity for work done on behalf of Permaculture Aotearoa;

• Enables the funding of flax-roots initiatives around Aotearoa.

• Maintain an engaging and easy-to-use web presence that:

• Provides infrastructure for sharing information, news and stories;

• Provides infrastructure that supports collaboration between Members;

• Provides infrastructure that supports bioregional communities and activity;

• Provides a point of entry for people wanting to learn more about Permaculture;

• Provides an advertising platform for permaculture activities and events run by Members;

• Provides learning forums for Membership.

• Coordinate the organisation of an Annual Permaculture Hui that:

• Is based in a different bioregion every year;

• Is largely organised by a local team with support from the Hui Liaison (a Council supported role);

• Is financially accessible and offers discounts to Members.

• Offer support to Regional Hui in the form of:

• Resources;

• Collaboration infrastructure;

• Finance.

• Maintain a regular Newsletter for Members that is published every season.

• Maintain effective and responsive Membership Administration that:

• Enables easy Membership registration;

• Swiftly processes registrations and sends Welcome Letters;

• Sends renewal reminders;

• Maintains a streamlined and fully functional Membership Database;

• Is consistently increasing membership.

• Maintain and develop relationships/partnerships with aligned organisations that:

• Are mutually beneficial;

• Advance the goals of both organisations.

• Maintain relationships with the International Permaculture Movement and other National Permaculture Organisations.

• Respond to the abuse or exploitation of ‘Permaculture’ as a name or description of practice.