ecodesign - Gold Award

LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL & AMENITY HORTICULTURE

Design Brief:

The Cook family', which owned this 2.1 hectare property at Winston Hills, saw adjoining properties being developed in a way that removed the sense of place and life from the land. They sought to develop their land into a sustainable community- ecovillage.

To gain council approval for the subdivision a Landscape Master Plan was required to
be submitted to council supported by a Landscape Management Plan.

The majority of the site was to remain undeveloped. The landscape management plan allowed the community to develop the landscape in accordance
with sustainable permaculture principles.

The plan outlined key management activities that would be required to achieve performance based outcomes for the community assets.

The Illabunda community aims to achieve a balance between the demands of modern living and a sustainable lifestyle. 
The plans' sustainable systems includes:
 Water sensitive urban design
 Renewable energy production.
 Community composting and recycling scheme.
 Gardens, orchards and food forests for seasonal food production.
 Extractable hardwood forestry.
 Apiarist activities (Honey Production)

Large areas of land have also been set aside for conservation. These areas will retain the existing soil seedbank as much as possible and will be regenerated to Cumberland Plain Woodland.

Location ; Winston Hills, NSW

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