During 2022, PolisPlan worked with staff at Bellingen Council to establish a potential town planning framework for regenerative villages generally, and specifically to enable the development of a pilot project. The framework included:

• Main report justifying and outlining the development strategy including proposed definitions for ‘regenerative village’ and ‘circular economy’

• Enabling provisions (draft Local Environmental clause)

• Development controls (draft chapter for inclusion in the Development Control Plan)

• Infrastructure planning (planning agreements policy)

• Locality planning process for determining appropriate locations for regenerative villages, identifying preferred precincts. Note that identification of a site is not to be construed as sufficient proof, in itself, of a site’s suitability for a regenerative village pilot project. Similarly, the fact that a property is not identified by these investigations should not necessarily be construed as proof that it would not be suitable for such a project.

• Implications for other departments (eg. ordinary rates, water and waste levies, public works)

The proposed framework was reported to Council on 23 November 2022 and unanimously supported by the elected Council. Link to the Bellingen Council website for the full agenda and minutes here.

Download the minutes of the Council meeting with Council resolutions relating to this matter here.

It wasn’t until November 2021 that we were able to obtain funding for the project, provided by Sustainability Advantage. SA is an office of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment that works with medium and large organisations to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices and nurturing leaders committed to securing a sustainable NSW. They cultivate networks and collaborations to solve sustainability challenges and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

After attending Council’s community forum during the preparation of the Growth Management Strategy (3 May 2018), we had a number of conversations with members of the community and Council staff and then made a submission to the Strategy (15 June 2018). This led to the development by Council of a Draft Local Housing Strategy. Our further submission (12 September 2019) resulted in the inclusion of Action 8.4 in the Bellingen Shire Local Housing Strategy 2020-2040, which reads as follows:

8.4 Eco Village Pilot Project

Eco-villages were broadly supported during the Homes for Our Future community engagement process. However, there are many challenges to siting, funding and developing eco-villages.

Nevertheless, eco-village housing could provide additional housing choices aligned with the Housing Vision if implemented well.

In the event that a proponent presents Council with a suitably detailed project that will produce exceptional environmental and social outcomes, and the learnings of that project could be transferred into mainstream housing in the future, then Council will provide support for the alterations to planning controls that would be necessary to facilitate the pilot project. Established schemes such as the Living Future Challenge and Certification Scheme may be used to demonstrate merit.

Finding a location for the eco-village should focus on minimising natural hazard risks to people and property and result in clear improved environmental outcomes on the site (e.g. locating the village on an already degraded site rather than developing and clearing land in a healthy natural area). Council will work with any proponent to assist in locating an appropriate site for the project.

Depending upon the outcomes of any Pilot Project, Council will consider the development of future amendments to planning controls that will provide guidance for future potential eco-village projects.