The Ecovillage at Currumbin is an innovative

residential community A residential community is a community, usually a small town or city, that is composed mostly of residents, as opposed to commercial businesses and/or industrial facilities, all three of which are considered to be the three main types of occup ...

at 639 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley,

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It showcases best practices in residential

ecologically sustainable development Ecologically sustainable development is the environmental component of sustainable development. It can be achieved partially through the use of the precautionary principle; if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack o ...

. The

ecovillage An ecovillage is a traditional or intentional community with the goal of becoming more socially, culturally, economically, and/or ecologically sustainable. An ecovillage strives to produce the least possible negative impact on the natural envi ...

project has been developed on degraded farmland on the exurban fringe of

City of Gold Coast The City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. With a population of 606,774 it is the second most populous local government area in Australia (City of Brisbane being the ...

, a major resort city on Queensland’s

South East Queensland South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. T ...

coast. The developer, Land Matters Currumbin Valley, has rehabilitated the site and is protecting its environmental integrity and biodiversity by preserving 50 percent of the site as an environmental reserve. It is on a site comprising 80% bushland, plus open spaces and 141 home sites. The ecovillage is master planned with many homes architecturally designed. It was established by Chris Walton and his wife Kerry Shepherd. Currumbin Ecovillage lacks adequate public transport. Residents are car-reliant.

Sustainability

All homes within the Ecovillage include complete water autonomy. Smart design and excellent energy ratings assist the homes to be comfortable all year round with low environmental impact. The estate also has grid-connected

solar power Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic e ...

, edible landscapes,

permaculture Permaculture is an approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole-systems thinking. It applies these principle ...

, waste minimisation and

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

. Residents have access to communal areas including a small village centre, green spaces and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. Dogs and cats are prohibited by a registered covenant. Exotic vegetation was initially prohibited but is now permitted.

Gold Coast Water Allconnex Water is the water and wastewater business for the Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent natio ...

was consulted regarding water benchmarks and the

Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

for waste treatment metrics.

By-law A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

s were required as a range of codes for assessing the developments environmental design compliance.

Awards

The ecovillage is a

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...

EnergyWise and WaterWise Demonstration Project and involves significant partnership with community, universities, industry and government. The Ecovillage has received 26 awards including the 2008 International Prix D’Excellence, and the Housing Industry Association’s 2008 Green Smart National Building of the Year Award for one of The Ecovillage’s sustainable homes. In 2010, The Ecovillage was appointed by the Gold Coast City Council as its ‘Innovation Estate’, demonstrating the City’s desired future form of development.

References

External links

* * {{coord, -28.1762, 153.4292, type:landmark_region:AU-QLD, display=title Buildings and structures on the Gold Coast, Queensland Ecovillages Planned communities in Australia

Sustainability

Awards

See also

References

External links