Monday, July 6, 2009

Ideas

So many ideas, so many plans....
I had a very constructive chat with Darren from the Baroon Dollars gang - they are making amazing progress, getting local businesses signed up, and becoming a real powerhouse of ideas about how a complementary currency can revitalise other sustainability efforts, and increase the local circulation of money and work-hours.
I've also been clicking around the Ithaca Hours website, getting a feel for the hurdles they've had to jump, and the lessons we can (hopefully) learn the easy way instead of the hard way here in Nimbin. I'm looking forward to getting in touch with more and more of the tremendous local knowledge - both from those who set up and ran the previous LETS scheme here in Nimbin, and also from local businesses who can benefit from a complementary currency.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Let's Plant a Seed

The Baroon Dollar has been all over the news this week. It should be a great success for Sustainable Maleny and the Australian Institute for Community Currencies - hopefully generating and retaining wealth all through the Sunshine Coast.
Many Nimbin locals will remember nimlets - the local LETS unit which was successful in generating community spending until just a few years ago.
The Baroon's success can be the impetus to relaunch the nimlet (or "Nimbin Dollar"), but this time on the Sunshine Coast model of a convertible local "currency" - with the aim being to get tourists as well as locals spending the currency in town, and to maximise the number of local businesses that accept the new "Nimbin Dollars". Oh, and we're going to need to come up with a better name, and either modifications to the old designs, or completely new designs, and we need legal advice and help with paperwork and help contacting as many people as possible who were involved in the old Nimbin LETS scheme, and we want to do it all as quickly as possible, because there's no time like the present (or, time is money, and so are Nimlets, or something).
Anyway, if you're interested, please bookmark this page and check back - there should be news at the end of each week.
If you have questions, or you can help, please get in touch - email nimbindollars@gmail.com.