Sorry about the pun in the title, but in moments of diversity Aussies are renown for keeping their sense of humour.  They are also well known for giving a mate a helping hand, and we have been gratified by the “flood” of offers of assistance that have already been listed on HelpOut.

Since the HelpOut service was launched just a few days ago, we have had thousands of visitors, and the number of listings and offers of assistance to flood victims is growing every day.

Currently, almost all the HelpOut listings so far are offers of help, with very few calls for assistance.  This is not really surprising, as those directly affected by the floods have plenty on their hands at the moment, and getting online (even if they can get internet access) to see what help is available, is not really a priority.  Over time though, as the floods eventually ease, and flood victims get back to their homes and businesses and the cleanup process begins, we anticipate that there will be an increasing number of “Help wanted” listings posted.

At the moment , if you are able to offer any sort of assistance to flood victims, no matter where you are, please create a listing (it will then remain active for 1 month unless you cancel or renew it), and check back regularly to see if there is anyone in your area who could do with a helping hand.

We would also like to encourage friends and families of  flood victims to keep an eye out on HelpOut for any offers of assistance that might be of benefit to them… and even consider responding to the listing on their behalf.

Tell your mates

If you like what HelpOut is trying to do, and believe (like we do) that it is going to be of great benefit to the flood victims, please spread the word about it by telling friends, families colleagues, and sending them links to the site.  Talk about HelpOut on Facebook, and Tweet about it to your mates.  The more people that get to know about this service, the more effective it is likely to be.

We’ve also created a simple flyer which you can download, print, and put up in your work place or community noticeboard to help spread the word.

HelpOut Feedback

We’ve had lots of feedback to HelpOut so far – here is a selection :

• Very good resource hope it helps.
• Great job!
• Great concept. Only real problem currently is that people impacted by the floods won’t be able to access the system
• What a wonderful idea. Congratulations.
• Don’t forget the people in WA that have been flooded.
  (a very good point – although the focus at the moment is maybe the QLD floods, HelpOut can also be used for WA Fires, and VIC and SA Fllods too)
• What a great idea for people in need.
• Great idea, more advertising needed to let people know its here.
  (Here here, we agree, we are doing what we can to spread the word, but you can help too)
• What a wonderful website. That Queensland community spirit truly shining through. Congratulation on a great way to help connect those that need help with those that are offering help.
• Great idea for those of us who have no idea how we can offer help to flood victims- thankyou
• brilliant site..i see it helping many..great idea
• Great to see something like this
• great concept – it’s nice to see something so positive coming into the forefront

If you like what HelpOut has to offer, please spread the word.  If you don’t like it – or could suggest how we could improve the service, please let us know – we would LOVE your feedback.

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With the impact on the QLD Floods spreading rapidly to Brisbane, Ipswich and other areas of South East Queensland – and with no end in sight, more and more Queenslanders are finding themselves directly affected by the floods.

But it’s not only the people who are suffering, many cats, dogs and other pets are also being caught up in the disaster.  Unfortunately, during evacuation, it is not always possible for people to take their pets with them, and even if they can, looking after a pet away from home under trying circumstances is very difficult.

Even once people can return to their homes, there is often lots of cleaning and mopping up to do – not a great environment to have a scared pet underfoot.

People affected by the floods already have more than enough on their minds, and worrying about their pets is simply adding to the stress.  The QLD RSPCA is doing a wonderful job trying to help wherever they can, but with so many people and pets affected by floods, there is only so much they can do.

If you are a pet lover, living in or near a flood affected community, and have a bit of extra capacity to help out by looking after someone else’s pet, you might like to consider creating a listing on HelpOut – specifying where you live and what type of pet/s you are able to look after.  It does not have to be for long – maybe just a few days or weeks, but in this simple way you could make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of both the pet and the owner.

See : http://helpout.spaceout.com.au for more information about how you can volunteer to look after a flood victims pet.

The rains that have caused the devastating QLD Floods appear to be moving south and have now also spread over the New South Wales border, with the Richmond River at Kyogle measured still rising, while Lismore is among the larger towns in the firing line of the Wilsons River.  The Brunswick River, which runs through Mullumbimby, is also liable to burst its banks, according to the weather bureau.

So far towns on the New South Wales north coast have escaped flooding, but if rains that are currently battering SE QLD and Northern NSW continue, it seems likely that areas of northern NSW will also experience floods.

A practical way to support NSW Flood Victims

It is very encouraging to see the level of financial support being provided throughout Australia via the various Flood Relief Appeals. However, with expected  flooding in and around NSW, with many  residents and business owners facing weeks and possibly months of ongoing hardship, there are many members of the local communities who are willing to lend a helping hand, but are not quite sure how to go about it.

Financial donations are obviously best to be made to the Flood Appeal, however it is not usually possible to ensure that these types of donations make it back to the local communities.

Donations of goods and items raise logistical issues with collection and distribution, but there are still plenty of things  members of the NSW communities are able to offer on a more practical and hands on level.  The problem is really how to match up the people wanting to help, with those who need the help.

HelpOut offers a simple way for Local Communities to help themselves

With the goal of making it easier for flood affected communities to help themselves, we have created a Free online service called HelpOut.  This service is aimed primarily at people living and working in their local community.

The types of offers of help that we anticipate will be placed on HelpOut are not just items or goods, but also offers of other practical and “hands on” support such as :

• Looking after a pet until the owner gets settled
• Washing and drying a load of washing
• Popping round (or an invitation over) for a home cooked meal
• Hosting a DVD night with popcorn to help things get back to normal
• Lending a car or trailer for a day or two
• etc..

In a nutshell HelpOut works like this :

• People wanting to Help can easily create a Free listing on HelpOut which explains how (and where) they can help.

• People needing a hand simply search in their local area to see who might be able to assist them.  If there is nothing currently listed that matches their needs, they can create  a Help wanted listing (for Free) outlining what type of items or service they need.

• Listings can include contact details, or if people prefer to keep their contact details private they can use our internal (anonymous) message system until they are ready to exchange contact details.

HelpOut has only recently been launched and so far, has relatively few entries, but we expect this to grow quickly, and for HelpOut to be most effective,  the people living and working in or near flood affected areas need to be made aware of this service.  One of the best ways you can help  those people who have been directly affected by the floods and need a hand, and those who have not sufferer so badly, but are willing and able to offer assistance, is to let them know about this service.

We would appreciate if you could take a look at HelpOut at http://helpout.spaceout.com.au and if you think that it could be of benefit to your local community, please spread the word by telling people about it, and forwarding on post to your friends, colleagues and contacts in and around flood affected areas.

We’ve also created a Help for Flood Victims flyer which you may like to print off, and post up in your workplace or around your local community.

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In tough times, the traditional Aussie values of mateship and lending a helping hand will always come to the fore. When people are suffering from natural disasters such as the 2011 Queensland Floods  the majority of Australians are very keen to help out wherever they can. The problem though is  working out the best way to help flood victims – without causing more problems, or getting in the way of the relief effort.

A natural first reaction for most people, is to think about the types of things that flood victims might need, then consider what things they themselves have (and could do without), and then wonder how they should go about getting their stuff to the places they are really needed.

Undoubtedly many of these donated items would be useful, but unfortunately, even though it may initially seem to be a great idea, the donation of  items or goods, is rarely a practical solution.  Unless you are located in or very near to the flood affected areas, the costs associated with receiving, storing, transporting and distributed donated items are very high, and typically it could end up costing significantly more to pass on donated items than it would to provide new items  purchased in the local community.

When to make Financial Donations

Unless you live in or near affected communities, the best way you can help is very likely going to be to make a financial donation to the Disaster Relief Appeal.  This fund is managed by the Red Cross and used to help fund the most appropriate support in the areas where it is needed most.

When to Offer Items / Services

Floods have an impact on entire communities, however , many people (living or working on higher ground) may not be directly affected, and would LOVE to be able to help, but are not sure how.

HelpOut is an online service aimed directly at people living or working in or near to flood affected  areas who are wanting to help, and also those needing help.  If you are part of a local community, and are living or working in or very near a flood affected area, then with HelpOut, the donation of items, goods or services could become a viable options.

HelpOut allows people to list the types of items or services that they can help out with, in the specific area or community that they are able to assist.

If you need help, or could do with a helping hand, you can also create a Help Wanted listing – which specific what you need, and where you are located.

Note: HelpOut is not able to coordinate or be involved directly with individual offers or requests for Help or assistance, the service simply allows people offering help to get in touch with those needing help  – and let them sort out the details between them.

What types of things could I offer?

There are many many thing that could be assistance to the Qld flood victims – many communities have been devastated and some have lost everything, so pretty much anything which might help them get started on the road back to a normal life could be of benefit.  It’s not only goods and items that are of help though.  offers of a helping hand, a bit of a break, or even a shoulder to cry on can help a lot.  Often very simple things can make a big difference as it reminds the flood victims that they are not alone, people really do care, and that their lives will return to normal even if it takes time.

Outline below are a few suggestions for simple, but practical, hands on thing that you may not have considered, but if you have any other ideas, please feel free to leave a comment below.

• looking after a pet or caring for livestock
• offering a home cooked meal
• washing and drying a load of laundry
• inviting them around for a DVD and popcorn (a taste of normality)
• and many more..

Help by Spreading the Word

Even if you live elsewhere in Australia, you can help spread the word about HelpOut – particularly if you know someone or have contacts in those parts of Queensland that are being affected by flood.   If you let people within these local communities know about the HelpOut service they may be able to create their own listings.

Also, clearly people who have been affected by the floods are likely to have little or no access to the internet.  If you have friends or family who are suffering form the flood, and have some specific needs, you could consider creating a listing on their behalf – outlining what they need a hand with (make sure that you specify their location though – not your own).

The Qld Flood Relief Appeal is doing a great job collecting financial donations for QLD Flood Victims, and this financial support will be invaluable in the coming weeks.  However, a brand new online service called HelpOut has potential to offer assistance in a much more practical and hands on way.

This new online service is aimed primarily at people living in or near flood affected communities.  Many of these people may not have been directly affected and would LOVE to be able to help, but are not sure how.  HelpOut is essentially a noticeboard type service, which allows people to “post” notes about the types of items/service that they are able to offer.  People needing assistance can also post information about the types of things that they need.

The types of things that can be offered through HelpOut are limitless, but it is very often the seemingly small, simple things which can give flood victims the biggest boost.  Simple, but  practical things such as:

• looking after a pet
• providing a home cooked meal
• washing and drying a load of laundry
• lending a hand cleaning up
• and many more..

indicate that people do care, and are willing to help, and can be of significant emotional support for flood victims on the road back to normality.

The HelpOut service was only launched yesterday, so as yet has relatively listings, but interest is growing strongly and the volume and types of offers of Help available is expected to dramatically increase over the coming weeks.  The biggest problem at the moment is raising the awareness within fold affected communities that this service is available.

See http://helpout.spaceout.com.au or About HelpOut, or How else to help QLD Flood Victims

Whilst floods are by no means a new thing to many Queenslanders, the current batch of flooding is so widespread and affects so  many different areas, they are having a much bigger impact than normal.  But what can be done to help

Flood levels are still rising in many areas, and pretty much everything that can be done in preparation, already has been.  For many, it’s now a matter waiting to see what’s going to happen, and the moment, there is very little that anyone can do to assist.  However, when the floods start to subside, and people start to be able to return to their houses and businesses to see what is left, that’s when the community really needs to rally together to help wherever they can.

While flooding will have an impact on entire communities, there are some (perhaps many) people who are not in the direct path of the flood and who will receive little or no property damage to their own home or business.  On the flip-side, those who live or work in lower lying, flood affected areas may very well lose all of their household items, and will soon face the daunting task of mopping, and cleaning up the mess that remains – a task which will take days if not weeks of effort.

It’s moments like these that bring a community together – with most people who are able to help, being more than willing to do so.  The problem however, is to know what needs to be done, and work out how best to help those in need.

All concerned Australians, no matter where we live can of course assist by making donations via the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.  However, the people that need help, and those that are best placed to offer assistance are those that live and work in the flood affected communities themselves.  but putting the people with needs in touch with those who can provide practical assistance could be a problem.

SpaceOut is in a unique position to be able to offer a solution to this problem. The concept of SpaceOut is based around our ability to put in touch people who have something with those who need something – and we do this on a locality basis.  Whilst we normally do this with Space (Storage Space, Parking Space, Office Space, etc…), it does not take a big stretch of the imagination to see how this same model could be applied to the wants and needs of flood victims.

HelpOut – designed to Help Out QLD Flood Victims

We have spent much of today tweaking our website, and are very happy to announce the launch of a new service called HelpOut, which we hope will make it easier for people wanting to help and having something to offer, to get in touch with those in flood affected communities who could really  do with a helping hand.

Lending a hand doesn’t necessarily have to be something big, or dramatic, and in fact it is very often the small, simple things which make the biggest difference.  We’ve outlined below a very brief list of some of the things that have been suggested could be of benefit to flood victims – but there are bound to be plenty of other ways to help :

• Offer to care for a pet for a week or two until they get everything sorted out
• Drop around a home cooked meal (or invite them round for one)
• Offer to assist for an hour or two to clean/mop/wash their house
• Offer to wash and dry a load of washing
• Drop around with some cold drinks/water
• etc…

We have a bigger list of how you could help – and remember, it is not only home owners who are affected, businesses too are suffering, so if you run a business that has not been unduly affected, have a think about what you may be able to offer to help.

HelpOut is a completely FREE service that allows people to either list what items/services that are able to offer, or for those affected by flood, to outline what things they would find really helpful.

You can find at more about How to Help Qld Flood Victims or create your own HelpOut Listing now.

How much stuff do you own that you will never use, DVD’s, old clothes, books, furniture, toys, appliances, gadgets, tools or even unused space? Do you have anything around your home or business that you don’t really use, and might be of benefit to someone else?

This Christmas, instead of traditional “Consumption”, why not have a think about sharing (and maybe even save money or make some extra cash in the process).

Australians, with their ingrained sense of mateship  have always been pretty good at sharing, but the internet is now making it much easier to share. Advances in technology mean trading, sharing, swapping and recycling is on the increase online and it is primarily the Gen Y’s and Millenniums driving this. Baby boomers are also increasingly seeing the environmental and financial benefits of sharing things as retirement looms.

It is estimated every year Aussies buy $10 billion worth or items they will never use. Those items waste money, take up space and destroy the environment.

‘Hyper-consumption’ is what has been driving world economies but the bubble is bursting. People are starting to review their values, and are ‘smarting up’ to the  unsustainable parts of modern life – enter ‘Collaborative Consumption’.

Collaborative Consumption is a term that we will be hearing a lot more about. There are a growing number of online services that allow Collaborative Consumption to thrive and for some amazing examples of how we can save money, space, the environment, and even make some cash on the side, take a look at :

• Freecycle – a worldwide  movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.
• 99 Dressses – an infinite wardrobe of fashion
• Zopa – Where people meet to lend or borrow money
• Etsy – Buy and Sell handmade Products
• SpaceOut – Rent Out your Unused Space

A new book entitled “What is mine is yours” (Rachel Botsman – Author)  describes the rapid explosion in traditional sharing (see http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com). The book describes the  rapid explosion in swapping, sharing, bartering, trading and renting being reinvented through the latest technologies and peer-to-peer marketplaces in ways and on a scale never possible before.

But collaborative consumption is not limited to “stuff” there are plenty of other things that can be shared.

With  53,000 self storage units in the USA alone (more than McDonalds and Starbucks combined), and over 1,000 in Australia, the need  for storage space is an increasing. The concept of sharing space by renting out private spare or unused space is a relatively new concept.  Property owners are becoming aware that by renting out an unused garage or driveway for parking, or a spare garden shed or bedroom for storage, they can generate extra income.

Online services like SpaceOut (www.spaceout.com.au) (which caters for a variety of different types of space rentals, including parking, storage, office space and even rural spaces for rent,  make it easy for owners with spare or unused space, to advertise, and put them in touch with people in their own area wanting to rent a space.

Whilst modern societies attitude to “Consumerism” seems unlikely to change in a hurry, it is refreshing to see that alternatives such as Collaborative Consumption are increasingly being considered as serious options.

If you can hold on for for a maximum of 6 minutes (but usually 2 or 3), Dr Cleo Cresswell of Macquarie University says you can find a carpark in even the busiest Shopping Centres this Christmas season!   As a mathematician, Dr Cresswell has worked out just how to easily locate a parking spot without driving around and around, using some not so simple maths.

Dr Cresswell calculated that if the average time shopping is 3 hours, and allowing for other factors, then the maximum wait time in a block of 30 cars will be no longer than 6 minutes. So by just ‘hovering’ by a large block of cars with a little patience, anyone can find  spot!

Chris Urquhart from Chanel 9’s A Current Affair tried the math out in typical end-of-year shopping centre carpark mayhem recently, and found the usual wait time using the technique in fact to be just 2 to 3 minutes!

This mathematically proven formula puts to rest many of the myths about finding parking, and turns out to be easier than most of them!!  Us scientifically-minded souls here at SpaceOut will be trying this technique out this Christmas. Let us know if the technique works for you too!!

In an earlier post entitled Big Brother is watching you Park we outlined how city councils throughout Australia are in the process of installing parking sensors that automatically notify parking officers when a car has stayed longer than it should.

In stark contrast to this,  a company in Paris is using similar sensors to help motorists find empty parking spaces.  Paris-based SmartGrains install in-ground sensors  which automatically detect the presence of a vehicle, allowing them to infer whether or not there is a vehicle in a particular spot. The sensors are connected in a wireless radio network, allowing each one to report whenever a parking spot becomes free. Drivers, can then use the free ParkSense iPhone app to see  what parking spots are available nearby.

Australian city councils claim they are not using parking sensors as a revenue generator, but are trying to provide “fairer” parking so that motorists are able to share the available parking spaces better.  If they were serious about this altruistic approach to parking, surely they could use this parking sensor technology for good rather then evil, and implement a similar “available parking spaces ” service to that being provided in Paris.

Find and share parking

Online services like  Google Open Spot which have been around for some time, can help motorists find a place to park, but these services rely on other users notifying the service when a parking spot is free.  Open Spot works by letting people who are leaving parking spots share their spots with people who are searching for parking, however this service  is currently only available in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands and requires Android 2.0 or higher.

Although SpaceOut is currently mainly geared towards long term parking space rental, it is still possible to find short term or daily parking space listings in certain areas.

The next time you park your car in pretty much any major city in Australia or New Zealand, keep your eyes peeled for the latest parking spyware sensors that could be automatically dobbing you in to the nearest parking officer the second that you overstay your allotted time.

Automated Parking Infringement Sensors

The latest automatic parking sensors are being fitted to both free and paid car parking bays throughout Australia and NZ.  Theses sensors take a photo (including a timestamp) when your car arrives and if you stay longer than the maximum time (whether or not you have a valid parking ticket), will electronically notify the nearest parking patrol. Theses devices automatically take photos of offending vehicles with the time and date of the infringement recorded on the image.

The new system detects a vehicle’s presence in a designated area, recording its arrival and departure time – including vehicle overstays, through the use of sensors embedded in the parking bay. Information gathered is transmitted to the parking Officer’s PDA, when walking or driving near the parking space.  the parking officer can also be notified of nearby spaces that are close to reaching their limits.

Gone are the days of chalking tyres – parking Officers are now only needed to enter vehicle specific details –  with location and offence details automatically populated directly from the vehicle detection sensors in the ground.  It seems to me that a fully automated solution is not far off, so that days of parking officers may very well be numbered as well.  If I were a parking officer, I would be very concerned about how long my job was going to last for.

Council Parking Revenue

Unsurprisingly local councils are at pains to stress that this move is NOT a revenue raiser.  They “selflessly” claim that they are installing these devices simply to encourage people to limit their parking to  allotted times – resulting in greater sharing of the parking space and a fairer service to all motorists – yeah right.

Advertising materials for the product manufacturers clearly highlight the increased revenue benefits of installing their product – providing a case study citing figures for a potential increase in revenue of over 120% for a single parking area.

Sydney’s Lane Cove Council is the latest council to start using the technology, with 200 of the meter eyes about to be switched on.

550 parking sensors have been installed around Perth at a cost of $400,000, and they have already paid for themselves, whilst ramping up revenue 57%.

Devices of this type are already in use (or being tested) by councils all over Australia and NZ, including:

• ACT Ranger Services
• Adelaide City Council
• Auckland City Council
• Brisbane City Council
• City of Melbourne
• City of Perth
• City of Sydney
• North Sydney Council
• Waverley Council

Whilst the altruistic sentiment of “sharing” parking spaces seems reasonable, it’s hard to see this trend as anything but yet another thinly camouflaged money grabbing strategy by councils.

The best approach to parking, and the safest way to ensure you are not hit by hefty parking fees or exorbitant parking fines is still to secure your own private parking space.  SpaceOut, remains one of the easiest way for you to locate or rent out your own private car parking space, at a very reasonable price.