Currumbin Ecovillage on the southern end of the Gold Coast may be Queensland’s most sustainable residential development and is often viewed as a blueprint for future urban development. In keeping with the worldwide Ecovillage philosophy it is a residential community with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and a sense of village living for its inhabitants. It is roughly half way into its implementation on a 300-acre (1.2 km2) site comprising 80% bushland, plus open spaces and 144 home sites.
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Compared to other Ecovillages, the Ecovillage at Currumbin:
House construction
Ongoing performance of houses
The application of the Ecovillage's environmental design codes means that dwellings are consistently demonstrating exceptional sustainability credentials. See Passive solar building design for more information. [1] Site development
Community considerations include a hamlet-like approach to neighbourhood design (whereby cars are relegated to the outside of housing areas and priority is instead given to greenways, pedestrians and bicycles), significant commonly-owned facilities (such as the community hall, greenways, and recreation areas) and the fostering of an active community spirit. Many examples of "spontaneous social design" exist around the village that encourage residents to bump into each other, or at least foster recognition and safety. Examples include centralised postal boxes, conveniently located and inviting sitting areas, and the onsite cafe (yet to be built).
Homes are built so as to use a minimum of toxic materials such as glues, fillers and building materials. The aim is to create healthy homes as well as a healthy community.
Integration into the broader Currumbin Valley community is seen as important; as such, the Ecovillage is not a "gated community". Value is also placed on the incorporation of work and recreational pursuits into the Ecovillage site itself. To these ends, house designers are encouraged to include office spaces to enable working from home, in addition to the provision of several studio houses along the village's main street. A bakery / cafe will include office spaces for rent in addition to its other obvious community benefits. Recreational areas targeted at various age groups are currently being implemented, including climbing walls, a gymnasium, a children's play area including a mud patch, and a community swimming pool. A community hall - capable of seating over a hundred people, and complete with a commercial kitchen - has also been built for the use of both residents and the wider community. A bus stop within the site will bring public transport to the village.
The Ecovillage at Currumbin has been in various stages of planning for over ten years. After the initial purchase of the land, local indigenous peoples were consulted as to the suitability of the site for a village development, followed by consultation with the broader local community. Having received much support at these levels, planning progressed, eventually leading to the first sales of house lots in 2007.
As at May 2008, roughly 110 house lots out of a total of 144 have been sold. Of these, 15 houses are completed, with a further 40 expected to be completed by the end of 2008. All homes and community facilities will be completed by 2011. The community hall has established itself as a resource for both the ecovillage and broader Currumbin community. Existing residents often report a wonderful sense of community, highlighting countless friendly offers of help, weekly softball matches, social events, and assistance with building projects.
The Ecovillage is currently in transition from being steered by the original owners / developers to being governed by the community. House lots are sold as part of a strata title, which appears to strike the right balance between individual independence and community control. The house lots are divided into three zones that each have their own body corporate. These in turn report to the Principal Body Corporate, which oversees the whole site. All bodies corporate are composed of community members and are accountable in the usual ways. Individual hamlets have responsibility for designing and implementing their own greenways and associated works.
Eighty percent of the 300-acre (1.2 km2) Ecovillage site is dedicated to open space / conservation purposes and the Queensland EPA has contributed $61,000 towards the development of the interpretative centre.[1] Ongoing landcare initiatives are improving the condition of the natural environment, especially along the Currumbin Creek. Ocean views are just possible along the ridge of the property, and many tracks through the bush offer a closer connection to nature. Dogs and cats are banned from the site so as to support the existence of indigenous fauna.