Port Chalmers residents will hold a "transition town" workshop this weekend, to develop practical projects aimed at improving sustainability and building a more resilient community.
University of Otago physicist Associate Prof Bob Lloyd, who is director of energy studies, and Tim Bishop, the co-chairman the New Zealand Renewable Energy Society, are among the speakers.
The workshop will be held at the Pioneer Hall, Port Chalmers, at 2pm on Sunday and will be followed by a 6pm pot-luck dinner.
One of the organisers, Tina Grubba, said the only way for local communities to adapt to a future with less oil, and which would also be increasingly expensive, was to build their resilience.
Successful local initiatives were already under way, such as "The Patch", which is the Port Chalmers Community Garden, as well as the Harbour Cycle Network and the Bags Not project.
The transition town movement is an international response to the challenges of peak oil and climate change.
