The Concept

"We will research, design and build a stylish, inter-generational, friendly demonstration ecovillage near the coast not too far from Sydney, blending the principles of ecosustainability, good health, business, caring and other options that may evolve for our well being."

Robert Gilman defines an ecovillage as a "human-scale, full featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development and can be successfully continued into the definite future". The definition is further explained on the Context Institute web site.

…stylish, inter-generational and friendly
The look of our village may be clean, green, modern, quality, organised and loved. There will be a good mix of public and private space. We will encourage community interaction yet our need for privacy and seclusion will be respected. Our village construction will be based on ‘best practice’ guidelines relevant to the mainstream.

…demonstration
Our village and our processes will be a showcase and teaching ground for interested visitors. We will endeavour to inspire others to live more lightly on the earth and show that it is possible without compromising a comfortable lifestyle. Residents may have the opportunity to be as involved as much or as little in this teaching process as they wish.

…village
We hope to build a thriving community of 300+ people of all ages and diversity. Some people with homes in our village may be part of a village based business or they may choose to continue their city lives renting part or all of their village home and visiting us on weekends and holidays, others may work part-time in the city perhaps spending a couple of nights a week in an apartment that they (or the village) may own in the city. Consultants, artists, writers may come and go as assignments dictate, perhaps making use of our village Business Centre.
In any case, we wish to attract people who want to create a life that aims beyond the ordinary.

…the coast near Sydney
Our village will be located not too far from Sydney, near the coast with fresh air and a mild climate. We will endeavour to develop positive and inclusive relationships with the surrounding community, our nation and the world.

…ecosustainability
We will live in harmony with nature, preserving natural habitats on village land and build a home with minimal environmental impact which considers orientation, thermal mass, planting for privacy and temperature control, insulation and zoning, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly materials, as well as eco-friendly energy, water supply, drainage, garbage disposal and recycling.

…good health
The ethos of our village may actively promote physical, emotional and spiritual health. We will pursue activities to attract good health and freedom from disease and pain. Facilities may be set up for those who wish to participate, for example fresh juice ‘happy-hour’, a healthy food cafeteria, a restorative guesthouse for retreat and recuperation, massage, yoga and exercise. These possibilities will develop and change over time, and include both residents and guests.

...business
We hope to develop a business incubator to encourage and nurture enterprises set up in our village - so that people can live, work and play here.

…caring
We may establish a system of caring so that you will know what will happen in the event of a dramatic life change e.g. your partner should die, you become dependently sick, you have an accident, you need permanent care or you need temporary assistance. We will develop a system of caring that will be agreed upon, documented and implemented.

…other options that may evolve
We may set up flexible systems to oversee the necessary changes to our evolving village and to encourage ongoing, fresh initiative and enterprise. We will support a diversity of activities, new thoughts and fresh perspectives and develop effective processes of decision making and dispute resolution.

The idea is that the village may form the context in which you can design the life you wish to lead. The layout will encourage neighbourly interaction while respecting people's privacy - we will have a strong sense of belonging.