A Circular Economy Village (CEV) is a neighbourhood or precinct for both housing and work, that is designed according to the principles of the circular economy. These principles are:

1. Eliminate waste and pollution

2. Keep materials and resources circulating

3. Regenerate natural systems

The principles are applied to the design of energy, water, and transport infrastructure, as well as the food system and built environment. This approach has become possible in recent years because of the availability of renewable energy generation and storage systems. A renewable energy micro-grid provides electricity to homes and workplaces, cycles water through the precinct and powers a fleet of shared electric vehicles. The water micro-grid supplies water to homes, while also irrigating the diverse, regenerative agricultural system.

The CEV is designed for a discrete population of up to a maximum of 200 people. By planning for a fixed population, it is possible to match the scale of the infrastructure systems such that supply exceeds demand for food, water, energy, housing, and vehicles. Each CEV would therefore be designed to provide all the energy, water, housing, workspaces and transport needs of the resident community and a substantial proportion of their food.

The term ‘circular economy’ is usually associated with recycling and waste management strategies. Often the principle of regenerating natural systems is neglected. By calling the village a regenerative village we emphasise the aim of designing systems such that daily economic activity results in a net positive impact on ecological systems.

State Governments will ultimately decide what term will be adopted in planning policy and how it will be defined. ‘Regenerative village’ and ‘Circular Economy Village’ are the recommended terms. The latest version of the definition reads as follows:

Regenerative Village is a settlement that has been designed:

(a) as a singular project for a discrete and pre-determined population,

(b) in accordance with the principles of the Circular Economy, and

(c) as a system that integrates food, water, energy, transport infrastructure and the built environment.

A CEV or regenerative village is a specific type of ecovillage. According to the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) an ecovillage is defined as:

• An ecovillage is an intentional, traditional or urban community that is consciously designed through locally owned participatory processes in all four dimensions of sustainability (social, culture, ecology and economy) to regenerate social and natural environments.

Ecovillage projects usually start by building community, who then collectively design the buildings and infrastructure. With CEVs we start by enhancing the landscape—developing a nature-based infrastructure ecosystem—so as to increase the capacity of the land to sustain the proposed population.

The co-design process is therefore subject to the constraints and capacity of the site and in accordance with the CEV design principles.

The CEV design principles are summarised as follows (for more detail see section 4.3 of the report to Council):

1. One planet living - Match the population of each place to the capacity of the land and its infrastructure.

2. Diversity - Maximise the complexity and resilience of the system.

3. Enhance integrated ecosystems - build economic systems that align with natural systems to maximise ecosystem services.

4. Design the village as a thermodynamic system - Harness input energy and minimise energy losses

5. Productive efficiency - Let technology do the work with the aim of maximising our free time.

6. Distributive efficiency - Local production for local consumption

7. Durability - The longer things last, the less work is needed to fix or replace them

8. Sharing - Share spaces and utilise spare capacity

9. Connectivity - No-one can do this alone. Maximise connections within and between CEVs, as well is with supporters.

No, not yet. We have been working with regional Councils in NSW, Australia to develop a planning policy framework. This will help clarify the process of development assessment which currently doesn’t exist. Having developed a draft planning policy framework, we are now finalising the financial strategy. The next step is to access seed funding for the site acquisition and masterplan design. The combined planning and financing strategy will aim to develop a pipeline of village projects.

Go to the project status page to find out where we are up to.

For any other form of development, say a single dwelling or an apartment building, you can go to Council, and they will tell you where your development is permissible, what the development controls are, and what you would need to contribute towards the provision of local infrastructure.

As a new and innovative form of land development, CEVs are not currently able to be readily developed under the planning provisions. This is because no strategic planning or policy work has been undertaken to enable them. We therefore had to develop this planning framework which includes:

• a definition for circular economy villages (or regenerative villages)

• a locality planning process for identifying appropriate locations where they would be permissible

• a draft clause for inclusion in the Local Environmental Plan (Planning Scheme) that describes the characteristics and principal requirements (and makes the development permissible in the identified locations)

• a draft chapter with more detailed development controls for inclusion in Council’s Development Control Plan

• A process for determining and negotiating requirements for the provision and management of infrastructure both on the site and in the surrounding areas.

• Identification of, and adequately addressing, other implications such as on Council rates, water levies, sewerage management and waste levies.

This all needs to be approved by the Department of Planning under a formal ‘Planning Proposal’ (Planning Scheme Amendment) process, which has not yet been commenced.

See the detailed documentation developed for Bellingen Council, most of which is readily transferable to other local government areas.

A Community Land Trust (CLT) will be the legal purchaser and owner of the land. Future residents will be able to buy units, shares or memberships in the CLT. This means that, legally, the community of future residents will collectively own and develop the land. They also benefit from improvements to the land that result from the development process. This approach provides the security of ownership with the flexibility of renting.

From an investment perspective, this approach is referred to as fractional real estate investment as each resident owns a fraction of the property and any improvements. There are also many similarities with cooperative housing, as well as community equity and shared equity schemes.

A CLT may develop and own one or many CEVs. If a CLT develops a network of CEVs then this will allow residents to freely move between them.

No-one will be able to buy a house as all the buildings and infrastructure will be owned, in perpetuity, by the CLT.

To live in the CEV, residents will pay rent to the CLT. The amount of rent will depend on the amount of capital each resident has contributed to the development.

Rent will be on a per-person basis, not a per-household basis. You therefore will not be renting a house but your shares in the CLT will give you access to your private space, a range of shared spaces, some food, water, energy, and access to shared vehicles for transport—all under a single lease agreement. This is what we mean by ‘lifestyle-as-a-service’.

No. You will have your own private living space, while access to certain shared facilities and assets will be subject to booking on the dedicated app. The village is designed so that there are opportunities to make friends and form community groups but no obligation to do so.