Eco Housing
As a sub set to it's vision and enormous goals, the WCC has developed an Eco-Housing project. It did so because such a project is a very good one for community wellbeing, incorporating social, health and cultural elements, as well as economic and employment opportunities.
The proposed WCC Eco-Housing project is about the future. It is a project which demonstrates that the responses to community needs have to be culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable and it must be within a framework of an ongoing economic future. That is why the people themselves must take the responsibility to develop the skills required to build their own housing, and then manage it. The WCC Eco-Housing project meets all these requirements.
The concept of planning and building one’s own home is not new. Indeed the concept of an eco-village is not particularly new. There are examples right around the world and indeed home building in a sustainable manner is also exhibited in Condobolin and the wider region.
Not only will this give the community the opportunity to be become asset rich whilst being sensitive to mother earth, it will also provide valuable employment and training opportunities.
An established example is in Canberra called Urambi Village. This model has gained recognition and awards from the architectural profession for it's sustainable design and the fact that it was initiated by a group of local residents interested in a housing arrangement which is not only sustainable in ecological terms but also self managed.
The WCC will introduce the Wiradjuri Condobolin Eco-Village to be developed in two stages:
· Stage One proposes 15 houses be built 5kms out of the town at the culturally significant Murie site, and
· Stage two proposes the community will build 100 homes throughout the Condobolin town precinct.
The houses are designed to be environmentally sustainable and energy efficient and use compressed earth bricks manufactured by our local Indigenous business specialising in this sustainable building material. The constructions will also rely on sustainable on-site sources of energy and power, including solar energy and will recycle water.
So not only will this give the community the opportunity to be become asset rich whilst being sensitive to mother earth, it will also provide valuable employment and training opportunities.
