Celebrating International Permaculture Day May 3rd 2026

PermacultureWests’ Roadshow through the Wheatbelt!

by Tanvier Fowler and Jenny Hanna

PermacultureWest may not have travelled internationally to spread Permaculture during the year, but we had a Roadshow through the Wheatbelt. In August 2025 PermacultureWest toured the Wheatbelt, embracing the idea that “there is no such thing as waste, only stuff in the wrong place”. 137 people, in 6 towns (Moora, Toodyay, Brookton, Narrogin, Katanning and Merredin) turned up to interactive workshops with a focus on household waste management, organic waste, landfill issues, and GREAT Sorts behaviour.
The project was sparked (and funded) by the community education grants put out by the Waste Authority of WA. A grant which we received on the second attempt after reducing the number of presenters from 2 to 1. In true permie style we made do with what we had, a generous, caring group of volunteers including a network of community gardeners. In each town we partnered with a community garden.

Every group contacted believed in the need for the project and supported it to the best of their ability. Free venues, use of resources, catering, setting up and packing down, and background local information. They gave their time freely and it meant the project could do more. There were enough funds left over after the August Roadshow to put on a final event for school kids at Brookton District High School in March 2026, which was a hands-on, age-appropriate learning experience. Students explored how waste systems work, how individual actions connect to community outcomes, and practical, free ways to reduce waste at home, school, and in the wider community.

Early Challenges

The roadshow was a real challenge mentally, physically and spiritually (Head, hand and Heart). It evolved as it progressed. After the first workshop in Toodyay it became evident that most of the participants already diverted food scraps from their bin (chooks mainly and compost). Giving away compost bins was not going to be an effective incentive to reduce waste.

That was when the decision was made to look for other incentives. What waste free solutions could be found, for a larger group of participants, to take home and try, that would reduce their household waste? This was an opportunity for more participants to try something new. The original plan spent funds on fewer items. It also meant diverse incentives could be introduced to participants and talked about during the workshop.

Here’s what went into the basket of giveaway incentives; crocheted dish clothes from Toodyay, hand made reusable face wipes from York, beeswax wraps from a WA social enterprise and a permie farm in Meckering, compost aerators from Bindoon (ok not in the basket!), shampoo bars in paper bags, bamboo toothbrushes, vegie swags, produce bags, books (compost, cooking and permaculture), second hand wooden toys and compost caddies.

The idea was to target the rooms in the house that produced the most waste, the kitchen and bathroom. These were given away throughout the day.

The Morning Workshop

There were two parts to each event, the first being an interactive inside workshop comprised of;

• A household waste audit and rubbish sort 
• exploring the local, regional, global waste landscape
• introducing different options to reduce waste
• imaging a future using permaculture principles
• and committing to making one small change

The main star of the show was a furoshiki sheet wrapped pile of clean household waste! Many wonderful suggestions on how to reuse or avoid items were shared. The pile was GREAT sorted: G – gift, R – recycle, E – earth cycle, A – avoid, T – take to drop off locations, by participants generating more questions than answers at times.

The more workshops delivered, the more difficult it became in some ways. Just finding information about waste was a challenge. How to stay positive? Does recycling work? How much of what we put in the right bin stays out of landfill? The more investigation into plastic, the worse it got. 

Participants had real concerns and queries and that could not all be addressed.

And of course, the participants were at different stages of waste free living. The workshops were designed to be a space of non-judgement and the scene was set early in the morning with a class code that everyone agreed to.

Towards the end of the morning people enjoyed the opportunity to pick a picture from past Permaculture Calendars and share their vision for the future. They found the pictures easy to connect to and there was a lot of warmth and hope during the sharing.

Role modelling, or walking the talk was another important element and included; reusing teaching resources (there were no computers used), decorating the room with bunting made especially by volunteers in the permaculture community, refillable whiteboard markers, a portable display stand from materials found at the Toodyay Tip shop (including whiteboard and pin up board), and finally waste free catering.

Waste free catering meant no disposable cups, plates or cutlery. Only leaf tea and plunger coffee. Communal washing up. Food in reusable containers. 

The Afternoon Skill Share

The second part to the event was an afternoon Home Composting skill share session where everyone had the opportunity to get dirty and use their muscles. We made a lot of compost! And looked at worms and bokashi buckets.

PermacultureWest gave out compost bins (recycled plastic) and filled them in Toodyay and Katanning (All Ages Community Garden). Revitalised compost piles in Brookton (Brookton Community Garden) and Moora (Gardiner Street Arts Collective Community Garden). Took a master class with Ned at Gnarojin Community Garden (PermacultureWest supplied an air pump for compost tea). And to finish off, supplied and installed an in ground worm tower at Merredin Community Garden (as well as building a new compost pile).

Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who attended, brought in supplies and promoted the Roadshow! In particular Lee Goodwin (everyone needs a roadie), Jennilyn Hanna (cheer leading star and all round support) and Peter Austin (keeping track of the finances). Volunteers contributed, at a minimum, $5000 worth of work to this project.

Thank you to the Waste Authority for the backbone funding that made the Roadshow possible. 

We hope the Roadshow offered some practical ways to avoid more landfill and care for the environment. 

Here’s to more compost piles, recycled and repurposed treasures, homegrown and community-grown harvests,  shared lunches, and regenerating a world — one small, intentional step at a time.

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Survey Results

A survey was given to participants a month after the event and found;

• The favourite part of the day was:
  • the outside compost building
  • engaging as part of a likeminded community
  • sorting the rubbish pile and hearing a group perspective
  • sharing food and eating together
  • learning about permaculture.

• 89% committed to making one small change and responded that they are doing well! With small, steady steps and raised awareness, new habits are forming.

What stuck with people:

1. Personal responsibility
   • “That we are all responsible for being a GREAT sort. It’s not a point the finger as to who’s role it is, we are all in the position to be a GREAT sort in our community.”
   • “I could do better on Reduce and Avoid and always Rethink first. The power of numbers if more are doing their bit, changes happen.”
   • “I am aware of every bit of plastic that I put into the bin and thinking how to avoid it next time.”
2. Ways to reuse (methods)
3. Composting methods (this had the most responses)
4. The problems with waste (awareness)
5. The 5 R’s (Rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle)

Resources given out

• A3 Posters of each letter in GREAT to every community garden

• A3 Permaculture Principle poster for every community garden

• Community gardens received resources for making compost including: aerators, compost bins, worm towers, revitalised compost bays, bokashi buckets, air pump for compost tea.

• Brookton High School received bokashi buckets for every classroom.

• Participants received: 
  • an A3 card of choice from GREAT letters to write commitment on and stick on fridge or somewhere noticeable;
  • a handout with household waste audit, permaculture principles and GPS self-reflection.

• Articles were printed in the regional towns of; Merredin, Brookton, Narrogin, Katanning, Moora and Toodyay.