Chris Hergesheimer is “just a guy – not an expert,” as he said up front at his Sunshine Coast 2025 lecture on Dec. 19 at the Roberts Creek Hall.
“I’ve got no party line,” he said, “no corporate advances. This talk is not meant to be critical of local government or groups – it’s a thought experiment.”
Hergesheimer holds a recent Ph.D. in rural sociology, a program that includes agriculture, and he has been a resident of the Creek for over 12 years – long enough to know what’s right and what’s missing.
Considering the stormy weather on Dec. 19, a fair-sized turnout was interested enough in the future of the Sunshine Coast to attend the TEDx-style talk and hear the 75 ideas Hergesheimer had generated in a variety of areas: environment, food and agriculture, arts and culture, transportation, housing and economic development.
“Sustainability is no longer associated with marginal groups,” he noted. “Corporations are now looking at it.”
Many of the ideas he broached are to do with sustainable living.
The ideas came thick and fast – many of them are already being done on the Coast in a limited or unpublicized way. Others are badly needed. Consider the first item on his list: catch more rainwater in cisterns everywhere to see us through the drought days. It seems a no-brainer, but like many other ideas, it needs a push. Build greener, he suggested, and reclaim construction waste (ideas two and three).
In the areas of food and agriculture, Hergesheimer’s specialty, he points to the rise of farmers’ markets, sustainable logging, zero waste, and the opportunity for forest tourism as in guided walks through our woods. Community farms could address food security (idea 13).
He referred several times to the land at Wilson Creek on one side of Field Road that could be used more beneficially as an eco-village for houses and food-growing, side by side (idea 42).
Arts and culture is alive and well on the Coast, but why, he asked, do all the big events happen on the same day? In this case there are already two comprehensive websites, suncoastarts.com and coastreporter.net calendar, that give up-to-date event information in digital and print, but they are not useful if event organizers are not checking them.
All the Coast Legions are struggling for funds. Why not just include funding them as part of your taxes (idea 44)? And for entertainment, how about a bar or lounge with no TVs and no phone reception so that we can actually talk to each other face to face (49)?
Housing is a big issue on the Coast. “Airbnb is not the demon,” Hergesheimer said. “Clean, cheap hotels can compete with the Airbnbs and are desirable for tourists.”
Try co-living – take on a roommate, he suggested (37). Develop affordable housing and legalize tiny houses (36).
“Why are we still talking about it? Let’s do it.”
Transportation is also controversial. “We need Uber and Lyft (ride hailing). Taxis are too pricey now.” More collective transport such as mini-vans every five minutes (62) and, oh yeah, hourly ferries (63). A murmur of approval went through the hall at that idea. We need to drive less (68). “I had to get into my car seven times yesterday,” he said.
Other ideas involved a lending shed for tools and walking tours to promote public art and murals.
When it came to describing ideas for the next generation, Hergesheimer admitted he still needed to explore ideas with those younger than himself. What might they want to see on the Coast for recreation? A bowling alley? An indoor skate park?
Shop locally (23) and volunteer more (72) were also suggested, but if you volunteer as a member of one of the many non-profit groups on the Coast, consider merging with other non-profits for more impact and funding (29).
The audience was asked to rate ideas as good, bad and feasible using a simple check mark on a form. Survey results have yet to be tallied.
