Gathering at Narara

23rd January 2011

Welcome

Flow of today’s session

• Welcome, Housekeeping, Musical Pairs• The Land…..images and song• The SCEV project - yesterday, today, tomorrow• The People…..images and song• Short discussion groups• Q & A• Lunch and walk around the land• 3pm depart Narara

www.maps.google.com ‘Research Rd Narara’ and click on ‘Satellite’

Gosford Horticultural Research Institute

Vision

We will research, design and build a stylish, intergenerational, friendly, demonstration ecovillage, near the coast and Sydney blending the principles of ecological, social and economic sustainability - good health, business, caring and sharing and other options that may evolve for our well being.

“Ecovillages are urban or rural communities of people who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low impact way of life”

Global Ecovillage Network (GEN)

We are talking about

sustainable development sustainable development in the broad sense:

EnvironmentalEnvironmental

SocialSocial

EconomicEconomic

Who’s involved

Lyndall Parris – holder of the project

Teacher Accountant

486 people on the database andtwo teams: Design/Legal & Finance

Renewable energy expert/engineerLawyer/BankerBudding accountantUrban plannerDesign software expertDentistArchitectHorticulturalist/Permaculturalist-when we secure the land, more people needed-survey accessed from Homepage SCEV website

Our project:

Features:

- combine the autonomy of private homes with the advantages of

community living

- Homes are owned in the usual way AND you share in the rest of the land and facilities - Neighbourhood design emphasising pedestrian access and open space- Small footprint, clustered homes encourage a sense of safe and supportive community, a spontaneous, intergenerational lifestyle

“Why not design what we want rather than adapt to what exists”

- Separate income sources with some income generation possible through the community facilities – you keep your own chequebook!- Intending residents participate in the planning and design of the development so that it directly responds to our needs- Ongoing Resident Management

- Extensive common facilities decided upon by the communityFor example: guest rooms, laundry, dining hall/bistro, children’s playroom and playgrounds, sporting facilities, vegie gardens, …………….

It’s better than a Club House!

Food Production

Ithaca ecovillage (Cornell University) (Cornell University) in upstate NY

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Picking up her weekly CSA share

Benefits of Local Organic Food:-

- Fresher - Healthier- Reduced carbon

emissions- less packaging- higher multiplier in

local economy- less preservatives- less refrigeration

Some communities make wine together

…………or tomato sauce

A safe and fun place for children……..

………and adults

If you are not living with us, you will be so welcome to visit

Living the Good Life!

Our history:

- Ecovillage launch Nov 2006- Set up Incorporated Association- Looked at over 100 properties- Feb 2008 visited this Narara site Dave said: ‘THIS is the Ecovillage’- Joint ventured with a friendly developer

andnset out a process to move forward- The GFC and our developer’s company

went under

Background:

- the site is approx 63ha - approx 12 ha of land is zoned 2(a) to enable

residential development. - there is a site-specific Devt Control Plan

(DCP) with guiding principles/master plan for a Development Application for 118 lots

- We would prefer a mix of housing from studio apartments through townhouses to single family dwelling diversity, housing affordability, inclusiveness…….cohousing

Opportunity now:

- Land due back on market with a new valuation, new sales process about to start

- Legal & Finance team working to set up a co-op which will sell blocks in the normal way

- Don’t need a company structure as not returning profits to shareholders and developers

- Not-for-profit project, any surplus accrues to the community for the community to decide upon

Proposed layout in the current DCP

Current infrastructure and buildings

Current buildings - with Linda’s ideas

What this could look like – thanks againTom

Want more info about SCEV?

From the Homepage of www.scev.org, you can access:-

• Latest Information document (some copies here today)

• Conceptual Plan• Draft Energy and Water plans• Survey to inform the feasibility model

Short discussion groupsQ & A

Short discussion groups (of 4/5…butchers paper)

If anything is possible - no constraints of time/money - forget the status quo.

What would you want for this ecovillage project?

(practical, generative, in the field beyond right/wrong)

“Out beyond ideas of right and wrong doing, there is a field. I will meet you there” Rumi

- A polytechnic for sustainability [Definition: polytechnic institute - a technical school offering instruction in many industrial arts and applied sciences] international, connections for visiting teachers and students. Links to research and tertiary institutions. Centre of learning and education

- Return to creativity and life skills- Ideal of living with reality of life on earth- Learning relationships between people and earth – understanding of Sociocracy (decision

making process) and mutual problem solving.- Food co-op, café, guest house, picnic/barbeque areas, workshops, music/craft festivals, people

around “community” (demo village)- Part of broader community, bring external in. Also create a HUB within the community to

encourage interaction within the ecovillage.- Open to ‘outsiders’ – permeable to external society and influencing it.- Look at encouraging corporates, as part of development, sponsorship, trialling products- Balance between personal and shared space- Intergenerational – wisdom of the elders through to the innocence and enthusiasm of kids- Shared agriculture and food processing. Grow your own food farm. Bee hives.- Interspecies harmony- High speed broadband- Swimming pool heated 50m outdoor, coffee shop, library, theatre- A degree of self sufficiency- Cultural diversity- Good coffee, wine, song and people- Healing centre, Art centre, cycle ways, walking tracks, - Accessibility for people with disabilities- Ski run, beach……..well we were asked to dream!