Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Sustainability”
Narara Ecovillage is a Finalist in the 2024 Banksia Sustainability Awards: Place Making. This category celebrates sustainability through innovative design and practices, resource conservation, energy efficiency, circularity, renewable energy and biodiversity, as well as social sustainability, inclusivity, mobility, well-being, and community engagement. Narara Ecovillage has been named as a Finalist in the 2024 Banksia Sustainability Awards in the category of Place Making. …
From John: Hey friends, its been quite a week for podcasts. Last week I recorded podcasts with the ABC’s Philosopher’s Zone and Sounds True One. Neither of these have been released as yet, but James Jesso just released the conversation we had on his psychedelic podcast “Adventures Through the Mind”. I listened to it on a walk in the Yarra Valley …
PRESS RELEASE Narara Ecovillage, a demonstration ecovillage near Gosford, surveyed its residents and found that they are producing over 40% less emissions than the average for the Central Coast. The Ecovillage has set a target to achieve a 75% reduction by 2030. “We still have a long way to go, but this is a great start,” said Janet Ellis, a …
Jonathan and Sue are building a modular 3 bedroom house adapted from a Parkwood Homes design at the front of this site on Gugandi Rd, the main ‘spine’ road of the village, close to the Village Hall and Coffee Cart and to our recycling collection point. The dual-occupancy site will ultimately include Tanya’s 2 bedroom home to the rear as …
ABC Central Coast reached out to the Ecovillage to ask about EVs, their benefits and challenges regarding charging. Member John Shiel spoke with Caroline about these questions and more. One big concern was the lack of charging stations on the Central Coast. John shared some of the latest updates: 30 charging locations on the Central Coast 2 maps to find …
Dave Burrows In a collaborative process lasting several months, members of Narara Ecovillage developed 6 objectives for 2030 in the areas of biodiversity, food growing, collaboration, regenerative business and carbon emissions. The Plan has six objectives which the Ecovillage will seek to achieve by 2030. For each Objective, a Circle or Working Group has been designated to develop strategies, implement …
An incredible milestone! This week we launched our Community Battery and celebrated the achievement of building the smart grid and battery to-date. Very appreciative of the support from our local members Dr Gordon Reid and Liesel Tesch, Central Coast Council and ARENA who provided the grant that made it all possible.
“My house has the capacity for living both on- or -off-grid. The level of air circulation is exceptional via a ceiling fan and multiple windows and skylights.” Chris Wenban The Mayflower is a fully equipped tiny house built on a tri-axle registered 7.2 x 2.5 m steel trailer with brakes. When entering, it opens into a living area with a …
Ben’s House Ben’s workshop We’ve had a great Winter on the build of this round recycled home, with plenty being done to get us from a bare slab to a roofed and walled light-straw-earth and cob home, thanks greatly to the help of some pretty awesome workaway volunteers (big shoutouts to Euge and Fran, Lois & Koen) and our designers/natural …
An Earthship is a passive solar earth shelter that is made of both natural and upcycled materials. Candy’s features earth-packed tires, cob walls and a natural geothermal cooling system. This earthship was only the second approved in NSW. “At least a hundred people helped me build this house. It was made with so much love. Anybody that comes here feels …
Join us for a fascinating chat about birds and wildlife with avid birdwatcher and Ecovillage member Richard. It is wonderful to see how many different species we share our home with, and you can learn about some of the ways we actively encourage the increase and diversification of native animals. Find out how you can track the change of season …
-Mikala Dind In this six-part series, Narara Ecovillage member Mikala Dind shares her knowledge about what makes houses healthy or unhealthy. While this article is about existing homes, the information will definitely assist anyone seeking to build a home. One of the most common reasons for mould problems in a home is water finding its way into the building. In …
-Mikala Dind In this six-part series, Narara Ecovillage member Mikala Dind shares her knowledge about what makes houses healthy or unhealthy. While this article is about existing homes, the information will definitely assist anyone seeking to build a home. LOCATION While “location, location, location” might be the catch cry for real estate agents because it indicates access to shops/public transport/schools, …
Nicky and Mark are the happy owners of Bellbird House – a heritage listed timber house at Narara Ecovillage. They are meticulously restoring their home, and have had to focus on thermal comfort as the house was freezing cold in winter and stupendously warm in summer. We will chat to them about what they have done to make their home …
-Mikala Dind In this six-part series, Narara Ecovillage member Mikala Dind shares her knowledge about what makes houses healthy or unhealthy. While this article is about existing homes, the information will definitely assist anyone seeking to build a home. THE AGE OF A HOUSE The age of a house can give clues to potential hazards. For instance, homes built: before …
Our network of growing friends on the Central Coast and further afield has been very hard hit this summer. As you are all no doubt aware, many local farmers have suffered very long periods of dry weather, followed by the effects of bushfire, followed by the effects of torrential rains. Two of many examples: Little Feet Gourmet, located at Ourimbah …
By Andrew and Megan Dobson As gardeners, winter is a reliable test for our patience, however when the growing season commences, a different and more immediate form of patience can heap untold rewards on the determined practitioner. At home in Wyoming, aphids bombarded our rose bushes. A preliminary hosing with water cut the infestation in half. Then we waited two …
Candy’s earthship at Narara Ecovillage (the first approved on the Central Coast) was designed by Australian earthship guru, Martin Freney of www.earthshipecohomes.com.au It’s a two-bedroom design for a small suburban block of land only 15m in the north south direction, and addresses principles of human needs: Thermo-solar heating and cooling Solar electricity Composting toilet Building with natural and recycled materials …
Who would have thought that in my 60’s I would be building a house and using words like ‘waffle pods’ and ‘thermal mass’ and attempting to understand how solar panels and normal/grey/reticulated water all ties together. I’m an admin person who loves food, reading and music, and now the brain is being stretched to new levels! We’ve nicknamed my house …
Hempcrete is relatively new to Australia with less than 50 houses using this sustainable building material in the whole country. Not only does it come from a renewable resource, using the stem of the hemp plant, but it provides a much healthier home due to it’s high breathability. good thermal and acoustic insulation breathable walls avoiding moisture build-up which prevents …
