The Proposal
"The Process has Many Arms"
We propose that, we, the Community, lease blocks 1
through to 15 inclusive, of the proposed subdivision. The intended use of the land
is to live in a conscious whanau-style community, in which we attempt to be as
self-sufficient as possible, growing our own food and caring for the land and
each other’s needs. We envision that the land could eventually accommodate up
to 8 people.
The
long-term vision is that we establish dwellings that are low cost and have a low
environmental impact, and be a model for alternative energy systems such as
Solar and Wind. As well as that, a central building would be established
eventually, that would become a community resource from which environmental
studies would be taught to the larger ............. region, using such concepts as
Permaculture and Organic growing as well as serving as a meeting place for the Community itself.
Appendix to the original proposal
Having been asked to provide more detail to support our application for the lease of blocks 1-15 of the land known as ............ Flats, we provide the following:
As it is a
large undertaking, we envision the establishment of the project of the
Community and Centre to take place in three stages documented below. Peta Hudson
was the land co-designer for an environmental project in the Blue Mountains, west
of Sydney Australia, called Intelife. This project, though much larger in scope than the one we
propose here, and was never a live-in community as we intend, will form much of
the research basis for what we develop here. That information in brief, as well
as a profile of the each of us will be included in this appendix following on
from the stages of establishment that follows.
After having signed the lease, our next project would be to make the land ready for initial occupation. This would include:
1)
Preparing a design for the land and the buildings that would eventually
be built on the land.
2)
Clearing the habitation areas for living spaces
3)
Moving on in temporary accommodation. This would initially be caravans
and/or housebuses.
4)
Setting up water storage and composting toilet systems individually.
5)
Establishing the food gardens.
6)
Setting up energy systems. This would include wind generation and
photovoltaic panels (solar) sufficient to power the dwellings and to accommodate
expansion as further development takes place.
7)
Construct an ablutions block to accommodate a communal laundry, shower
and composting toilet. (This would be in addition to the individual ablution
facilities in each dwelling.)
8)
As we are aware that erosion from the sea is severe in this area, we
envision planting such native plants as Pikau to bind the dunes together, as
well as conserving and extending on the flax that is already there. This could
then later be harvested for weaving. We would however desire that the landowners
consider building a substantial seawall to protect their investment, as well as
ours, as we are aware that much of the land has already disappeared from its
original area. We would be willing to negotiate and co-operate with this
process.
We
envision that this stage of the process could take up to three years to
establish.
1) This stage would include the building of individual permanent dwellings. Although each occupant will have individual choice as to the size requirement and materials that these will be constructed from, we envision that they would be such that they would be environmentally sensitive and fit in and so forth. They would be solar passively designed to make maximum use of the suns energy for heating.
2)
This stage would also include ongoing maintenance of the land, expansion
of food growing facilities and beautification, including sanctuary gardens and
meditation areas.
3)
We would also begin the establishment of native forested areas to act as
windbreaks for land conservation and erosion control, as well as wildlife
corridors to encourage native birds into the area.
We
have allotted a further three years for this processes completion.
1)
In this time frame of 3 years, we envision the construction of the
central meeting place/seminar space, known as the Centre, to take place.
This would include parking area for the general public, composting toilets,
extended energy requirements to accommodate it. It would also include plantings
to enhance the immediate area around the centre and to provide privacy between
it and the community residences.
2) We would then begin the development of educational programmes to be run at the facility, which by this time would be an environmental model providing opportunities for the general public in many areas of innovation, such as alternative ways to generate energy, alternative building design and layout, conservational land care, as well as many other complimentary subjects.
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Declaration of the Four Sacred Things
Webmaster: Jay Ray Updated 27/07/2008