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We are grateful for the article that Rob Doolan has written in the Nimbin Good Times in August this year. Rob’s reflections on the development of multiple occupancy (MO) housing in the Northern Rivers region of NSW during the 1980s offer valuable insights for modern communities seeking sustainable, affordable, and collaborative living arrangements. The early experiences of intentional communities, such as the rural MO at Whian Whian, highlight both the challenges and opportunities inherent in creating alternative housing models. Doolan’s dual role as a community developer and strategic planner at Byron Shire Council allowed him to observe firsthand the ways in which local regulations, community aspirations, and state policies intersected, often contentiously, in shaping living spaces.

One key lesson for contemporary communities is the importance of collaboration and relationship-building. Doolan’s work with like-minded individuals, local councils, and state authorities underscores how cooperation and shared vision can overcome initial resistance to innovative housing concepts. Early efforts, including feasibility studies, manuals, and advocacy, were essential in demonstrating the practical and social benefits of multiple occupancies, paving the way for the 1988 introduction of State Environmental Planning Policy 15, which legally recognised these communities despite local objections.

Modern communities can also draw lessons about strategic planning and documentation. By creating structured guides and manuals, early practitioners not only legitimised alternative living arrangements but also made the process replicable for future groups. Today, this emphasises the value of clear frameworks, accessible resources, and knowledge sharing, enabling new communities to navigate planning processes more efficiently.

Another lesson is the integration of social, ecological, and financial planning. Doolan’s experience shows that successful multiple occupancies were not just about housing but about building resilient social networks, shared stewardship of land, and sustainable livelihoods. Modern intentional communities can take inspiration from these holistic principles, combining cooperative governance, ecological restoration, and shared responsibility to create thriving, enduring communities.

Finally, Doolan’s reflections highlight the patience and persistence required to bring alternative housing into mainstream recognition. Change often unfolds slowly, and setbacks are inevitable. Yet with dedication, clear communication, and collaborative problem-solving, communities can achieve lasting impact. For today’s generation, these lessons remain relevant: innovative, sustainable living requires vision, resilience, and a willingness to work across social and institutional boundaries.

By learning from the successes and challenges of the 1980s pioneers, modern communities can build on a foundation of practical experience, creating spaces that are socially connected, ecologically responsible, and adaptable to the needs of future generations.

Read the full article, page 6 http://www.nimbingoodtimes.com/archive/pages2025/aug/NGT-0825-2-9.pdf

By Robin Clayfield

Crystal Waters Permaculture Village has been thriving for over 37 years and is now home to around 250 residents, along with a steady flow of visitors, volunteers, course participants, family, and friends. In the life of a village, this makes us still a “toddler” — villages traditionally grow and evolve over centuries — yet Crystal Waters feels settled, dynamic, and very much alive. Many of the children who grew up here have returned, some now raising their own families or even home birthing in the very houses where they were born.

The village is supported by two key bodies: the Community Cooperative, which oversees social and financial benefits for members, and the Body Corporate, made up of 83 Lot owners who manage the common land and license areas for agricultural, commercial, hobby, and community purposes.

Much of the social life of the community centres around the Village Green, home to a thriving sourdough organic bakery on Saturdays, a lively pizza night on Fridays, and the Green Lotus Café, open five days a week. The Green also hosts functions, monthly markets, and is surrounded by a range of businesses, offices, and clinics that serve the village.

Visitors are warmly welcomed at the EcoPark Accommodations, which offers camping, family rooms, and bunkhouse lodging, along with access to the diverse courses, workshops, and events held at the purpose-built EcoCentre and other facilities.

The Village Green is open to the public, and guided tours of the wider ecovillage can be booked for a small fee. These tours share insights into Crystal Waters’ history, design, permaculture systems, community services, and business activities. As part of caring for our abundant wildlife, we ask visitors to please leave cats and dogs at home.

Find out more at www.crystalwaters.org.au

Check out upcoming events at Crystal Waters Ecovillage!

Events

Check out upcoming events at Crystal Waters – https://www.genaustralia.org.au/get-involved/events/

After three years of planning, Kyogle Council has approved the Afterlee Ecovillage, a 700-hectare co-operative community with over 60 home sites. Chosen for its abundant water and historic village location, the ecovillage will blend sustainability, community living, and regenerative farming.

The first 31 flood-free plots sold in round one, funding the land purchase, while the next 30 plots will support infrastructure like roads, a community hall, work sheds, and recreational spaces. Homes will follow ecological design principles, with members recently completing permaculture and ecovillage design courses. 🌱🏡

“This is not an investment, it’s a lifestyle,” says town planner Shane Sylvanspring, who has lived in renowned ecovillages like Findhorn and Moora Moora. Future plans include a café, nursery, orchards, walking trails, and reopening the Afterlee school. New members are board-approved.

Check here for more information – https://afterleevillage.au/

We’re thrilled that Narara Ecovillage was a finalist in the Placemaking Category of the 2024 NSW Banksia Awards, celebrating trailblazers in sustainability! 🎉 Honoured alongside leading projects across NSW, this recognition highlights our impact in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Narara Ecovillage team—Verena MacLean, Sam Parris, and Scout De Kalb (14-year-old future sustainability leader)—attended the inspiring ceremony. The Placemaking Award was shared by Central Station Metro and Glebe Aboriginal Women’s Housing, showcasing the diversity of sustainable initiatives.

Following this, we joined the Central Coast Eco-Tourism Industry Breakfast, leading to Talking up the Coast, where we celebrated eco-tourism achievements with Mayor Lawrie McKinna and Deputy Mayor Doug Eaton.

This momentum reinforces NEV as a leader in sustainability and placemaking, and we’re excited to continue sharing our journey— perhaps you might participate in 2025’s National awards!

The GEN Australia team, who are a group of collaborators from different organisations and networks gathered at Woven, the Australian Intentional Communities Gathering 2025.

There were so many fascinating and important conversations between communities and individuals about connection, collaboration and conflict resolution.

We asked the questions: Where are we going? Who are we now? What does our community offer and how can we bring ourselves closer to our vision?

Through the conversations hosted, and offerings by elders, youth, change makers in the space, we addressed some of the realities we face today – housing, membership, conflict management and affordability.

GEN Australia is the Australian chapter of the global organisation that has built strong links and gatherings internationally between diverse rural and urban ecovillages over three decades to share knowledge and resources among regenerative villages.

Cohousing Australia is a national association developed over a decade from passionate residents, professionals and communitarians that practice the cohousing lifestyle like cohousing communities and associations throughout the world. The primary focus of CoHA is accelerating a shift towards housing that is developed and governed through community-led, participatory processes.

Recently, long term Ambassador circle member of GEN Australia, passionate PhD

researcher of communities, and regenerative village practitioner, Jason Hilder, took on the Co-chair role of CoHA with the intention to lead the organisation through the next phase of the strategic plan and foster relationships between the organisations.

‘The benefits of collaborative housing in communities and villages are multifaceted yet it istaking time for Australian policy makers, governments, planners and developers to come on board. It is good sense to collaborate our efforts to share the positive solutions through our networks and generate the ground swell of change needed’ Jason Hilder PhD.

GEN Au and CoHA will be featured together at ‘The Off Grid Living Festival’ and ‘Woven communities conference’ both in Victoria in April this year.

We were so excited to gather at the Australia Permaculture Convergence (APC) in the Redlands on 13 April 2021. Not only were we grateful that the gathering could go ahead with Covid-19 was looming over our heads, but because we had the opportunity to explore ecovillage principles and how they correlate with the permaculture ethics and principles. Both these design tools are so critical at this moment in time and we need to find ways to use them together and integrate the learnings and techniques.

A wonderful group of about 25 people turned up to our workshop. We used the GEN ecovillage design cards, all laid out and we spent time going through the areas of regeneration (social, culture, ecological, economy) and how they integrated into whole systems design. We explored the principles, discussing issues and examples/solutions of how we see them in action. One of the things I love about this process is that we come back to simplicity of connecting and sharing, going a little deeper into dialogue the more time we have together.

I’m grateful for Northey St City Farm (NSCF) for organising and hosting this event and for inviting us to hold this important space.

Look out for our next ecovillage workshop coming up this July 2021!

GEN Australia hosted a 2-day Emergence Convergence in November 2019 at the Maleny Showgrounds. It was organised and facilitated by Claire Ogden and Andrew Maclean from Maleny Ecovillage. The convergence focused on solutions to address climate change and used the ecovillage design framework to guide the the two day process. The convergence brought together over 150 people from all walks of life to come together to support each other, learn skills and take away ideas and connections to build the social movement around regeneration.

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The convergence was completely run on volunteer energy, from the organisation to the hosting, to the food preparation and workshop facilitation. Organisers and participants gifted their time, energy and passion into the event. Powerful connections were made and transformative conversations took place, while honouring the pain of the bushfires. We were blessed with the presence of our First Nations sisters from near and far, and importance of remembering the past and forging new ways into the future.

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During the last session facilitated by Robin Clayfield, we witnessed the emergence of solutions participants were passionate about and the convergence of energy through potential collaborations and individual commitments towards these solutions. There is no single “silver bullet” solution to tackle climate change. Everyone has a role in the regeneration. Finding our role, connecting with the support we need, making a commitment to taking the next step – these are the exciting things that we can share in the safe space of this group.

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By Mailys Henry (ToT participant, GENOA volunteer)

Can you hear this humming sound in the distance, moving closer in your direction ? As the native bees of Australia flying in groups, about twenty passionate change makers came together during GEN’s Training of Trainers (ToT) at Narara Ecovillage in NSW, in order to learn how to voice and expand their message about the benefits of ecovillages. This is the sound of our stories.

We were all coming from diverse backgrounds such as ecovillage members, humanitarians, students, teachers, healers, events organisers, activists, artists. Yet a common purpose was weaving us together, “in harmony and love”, to regenerate life through social, ecological, economical and cultural aspects. Gathering is one of the strengths of Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and it provided us with the mutual support needed in helping our communities.

These communities are the First Nations people of Australia, youth, people with additional needs, migrants, our families, people interested in the ecovillage movement and people who don’t know about it yet. Our call to lead a change comes from the alarming observation of a drained system that we don’t want to reproduce. Each of us has experienced this burning realisation in different contexts. The birth of a child made us feel responsible for the condition of the land and the culture we will leave to this new generation. A childhood trauma gave us the fire of passion to heal and educate the victims of today. A turnaround in our lives gave us the momentum for quitting a job and taking care of ourselves. Our aloneness in the city drove us to seek more simplicity and deeper human connections. 

Connection. More and more people are struggling with fulfilling this basic need. Beyond their relationships, they are cut off from their traditions, ancestors, land, food, Nature, purpose, until their own bodies and feelings. We are convinced that ecovillages and their design and principles are the answer to these issues, as they bring back the sense of belonging that is missing. We, humans, are here to live together and cooperate. It’s not only about happiness, it’s about justice. The whole system we want to design aims to be a model for the world, and it requires involvement from all of us. 

It starts small and local. Illustrating Joanna Macy’s encouragement : “You don’t need to do everything. Do what calls your heart; effective action comes from love. It is unstoppable, and it is enough.”, our host for this training, Narara Ecovillage, is one good example of action from the heart. They spent ten years building the community before buying the land to make their dream come true. A lot of effort has been invested in creating this holistic project. The design of the buildings enhances social interactions. Sociocracy as a system of governance allows efficient decision making and builds trust among members. The houses meet precise requirements of sustainability. Reconnection with Nature is provided by the surrounding of gardens and forests, the place being a former horticulture research centre. 

You don’t need to do everything. Do what calls your heart; effective action comes from love. It is unstoppable, and it is enough.

Joanna Macy

We used the GEN’s Design Cards to map the assets and needs of Narara Ecovillage. One leverage point is to connect deeper with the cultural tradition of the First Nations people of the area. GEN Australia is also exploring the relationship we build together with indigenous peoples, because it is only when we join forces we can find the power to take action in this worldwide learning journey.

Although all the trainers present were already part of the solution through their inspiring projects, we are aware of the necessity to empower new leaders. This will be possible by bringing our passions together and educating youth. 

In five days, we recognised in GEN a family of choice. The established trust made us feel like belonging to the hive of GEN Oceania and Asia (GENOA). Our team work will help the leaders to flourish and pollinate the flowers of actions in order to provide the golden wellbeing to the community.

Immense gratitude for the facilitators of this ToT, Kosha Joubert (GEN International), Trudy Juriansz (GENOA) and Shane Sylvanspring (GEN Australia). Sharing and reflecting together on the treasures of ecovillages was a pinnacle moment for each of us as individuals and as a network. In this time of climate emergency, we hope we can say soon “I was part of the solution.”

The national network, GEN Australia aims for building trust and strong connections among the local ecovillages. GEN Australia’s volunteer team offer a well-established field experience to support existent and aspiring communities in order to feature a regenerative way of living and to expand the Ecovillage Network in the country.

GENOA connects the communities of Asia and Oceania that implement the principles of ecovillage. GENOA ensures the communication between GEN international and the national ecovillage networks through promoting, providing support, and sharing about holistic sustainable living.

GEN International builds bridges between policy-makers, governments, NGOs, academics, entrepreneurs, activists, community networks and ecologically-minded individuals across the globe in order to develop strategies for a global transition to resilient communities and cultures.

The NSW Government is set to abolish a successful planning policy that has seen more than 120 intentional communities established across the state over almost 30 years, most of them in the northern rivers. The policy allows groups of people to establish Multiple Occupancies (MO) or intentional communities on land of 10 hectares or more in rural or non-urban zones. by Chris Dobney (first published in http://www.echo.net.au)

Just three councils statewide will be exempt from the changes – Lismore, Shoalhaven and Byron – because they wrote an MO policy into their 2014 LEPs, although Byron’s is more stringent than the state government’s version.

The policy change will not affect already existing MOs but it will prevent any new ones from being created outside of these shires. The department of planning and environment (DoPE) commenced a review of the State Environment Planning Policy Review 2015 in June this year with only a one-month notification. Amongst this review was the recommendation to remove SEPP 15 – Rural Landsharing Communities.

Shane Schmidt, a representative of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), a town planner and a current resident of an MO in Mullumbimby, is angered at the move.
‘The Department of Environment and Planning is not replacing the policy with anything. They are expecting local councils to now include local policies however most councils are under-resourced and this would not be a high priority for them,’ he told Echonetdaily. 

Stealth
Mr Schmidt is concerned rural landsharing will now go into the too-hard basket for the many north-coast councils that did not incorporate it into their 2014 LEPs. ‘Rural Landsharing is a complex issue and therefore many councils do not have the ability to interpret the state policy. Effectively the removal of SEPP 15 removes the ability for land sharing communities in most of NSW by stealth,’ he said. The proposal impacts all of NSW and in particular the council areas of the region without local rural land sharing policies such as Tweed, Kyogle, Ballina, Richmond Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and Tenterfield. 
Mr Schmidt was also concerned that the advertising of the review was not broad enough. ‘Many people would not have realised what the department was considering as the review included many policies and the proposed removal of SEPP 15 is lost in the detail,’ he said.
He is calling on the Department of Planning and Environment to reconsider the proposed removal of SEPP 15.
‘The department has not provided adequate justification for its removal. SEPP 15 is a progressive planning policy that should remain within the State Environment Planning Policies. It has for 30 years effectively allowed people alternatives to living with the environment and each other. I want to know why the state wants it removed,’ he said.

Affordable and sustainable
Mr Schmidt believes the proposal will have a big impact for people seeking alternative lifestyles in NSW. ‘Anyone now hoping to form a community in NSW or share land together will not be able to do so under this proposal. Removing SEPP 15 will result in removing the ability to create MOs and intentional communities in most of the state,’ he said. ‘The department has not provided adequate justification for the removal of SEPP 15 and when affordability and sustainability in housing is an ever increasing issue they should be strengthening the policy rather than removing it’. 
‘For the last 30 years MO’s have provided affordable sustainable housing options for people who want to live in rural areas and have limited money as well as providing options for people that want to live more communally.

‘MO’s also are active in Landcare and rainforest regeneration successfully transforming degraded farmland to rainforest and bushland. For many people in the area rural land sharing is a legitimate way to live more sustainably within the area,’ Mr Schmidt said.

People who are concerned about the removal of SEPP should contact the Department of Environment and Planning on (02) 9228 6333 or 1300 305 695 or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or contact their local State MP. (https://ecovillage.org/australia/)