Narara Ecovillage

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

Inter-generational and friendly
The look of our village is evolving as members build their houses. We have natural builds, standard designs and tiny houses. There is a good mix of communal and private space.

Demonstration
Our village and our processes have become a showcase and teaching ground for interested visitors. We endeavour to inspire others to live more lightly on the earth and show that it is possible without compromising a comfortable, mainstream lifestyle.

Village
We are building a thriving, diverse community of 300+ people of all ages (currently over 100 live on site). The layout encourages neighbourly interaction while respecting people’s privacy – we have a strong sense of belonging.

Some people with homes in our village work from home rent an office in the village or work part-time in the city.

Narara
Our village is located at Narara, a little over an hour north of Sydney and 30 minutes from the coast. We are building positive and inclusive relationships with our neighbours, other parts of Australia and the World.

Eco-sustainability
We will live in harmony with nature, preserving natural habitats on village land and build homes with minimal environmental impact which consider orientation, thermal mass, planting for privacy and temperature control, insulation, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly materials, as well as eco-friendly water supply, power, drainage, garbage disposal and recycling.

Good health
Our village actively promotes physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. We pursue activities and facilities to develop good health. These will develop and change over time, and include both residents and guests.

Business
We aim to develop a business centre to encourage and nurture enterprises set up in our village – so that people can live, work and play here.

Caring
We plan is to establish a system of caring so that you will know what will happen in the event of a dramatic life change, e.g. your partner should die, you become dependently sick, you have an accident, you need permanent care or you need temporary assistance. We aim to develop a system of caring that will be agreed upon, documented and implemented.

Other options that may evolve
We will set up flexible systems to oversee the necessary changes to our evolving village and to encourage ongoing, fresh initiative and enterprise. We will support a diversity of activities, new thoughts and perspectives to keep the energy of the village alive.

Our Vision

Our Vision is for an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable world.
Our Mission is to create a sustainable ecovillage as a demonstration of this vision.
Our Aim is to nurture a resilient and inclusive inter-generational community that inspires collaboration, innovation and fun; to live with kindness, aware of our interdependence with others and the natural world; and to learn and demonstrate ways to thrive within the earth’s ecological capacity, drawing on Indigenous wisdom and fostering regenerative environmental, social and economic practices.

Our Mission

Our Vision is for an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable world.
Our Mission is to create a sustainable ecovillage as a demonstration of this vision.
Our Aim is to nurture a resilient and inclusive inter-generational community that inspires collaboration, innovation and fun; to live with kindness, aware of our interdependence with others and the natural world; and to learn and demonstrate ways to thrive within the earth’s ecological capacity, drawing on Indigenous wisdom and fostering regenerative environmental, social and economic practices.

  • Community type
  • Ecovillage

Gallery

  • 251 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
251

How to join

Interested people attend a variety of events to get to know us and for us to connect with them. Events could be workshops, community meals, meetings and working bees. There is also a self-reflective questionnaire to complete. Our Belonging Circle works with the prospective new members to ensure they understand the village processes and legal documents and connect with a buddy.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Send an email to [email protected]

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Sociocratic/Circle-Based

Organized in circles or domains with distributed authority.

Economic model

  • Partial Income-Sharing

Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation

Additional economic information

Join fee: $30000
Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor required: 1 hours/week
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Greenhouse(s), Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Outdoor Kitchen, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    63 hectares

Reviews

Location

  • NSW, Australia

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul
Need
  • Communities with Openings
12 months ago

Water Birch Co-op. Urban living in central Denver.

Large, lovely house built in 1900, two blocks from Cheeseman Park in downtown Denver.  5000 square feet. The house was a Buddhist Meditation Center for 20 years before we got it and has lovely, calm vibes. We currently have ten people and have room for one more. We are an intentional community sharing dinners, 3 living rooms, 2 new kitchens and a kitchenette, & 5 baths. Staple food (organic) is bought together. The group is self-regulating as a co-op; it decides together how the house runs. There are chores ;-) Average cost per room is about $1000 ranging from $650 to $1354. Currently available room is $875. We are just finishing renovation of three bedrooms on the third floor  they are $875 each and share our largest, newest bath (shower and separate claw foot tub) and a brand new kitchenette  they all have beautiful windows and lots of light. PLEASE CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO. Initial lease for 3-6 months while we and you decide if we are a good fit for each other.  Deposit in the amount of one months rent is required prior to move in.  We do background checks on all members. Utilities are currently $130 per person per month and are all-inclusive.  They will change if costs go up, that amount is insufficient to cover utilities, or more people mean the cost per person goes down.  WiFi is via mesh network from gig-speed fiberoptic service.  Heat is with radiators.  Cooling is evaporative.  We have a storage room in a nearby commercial facility.  And a new large workshop in the garage. Shared food is $125 per month per person; it is a pass-through cost divided evenly among residents; it does NOT include meat or alternative protein nor any alcohol.  We will not be surprised if that needs to go up some soon ($10 or 15). We have two dogs and three cats in the house  that seems like a sufficient quantity of furry friends for now. Our community intentions include: Communication with compassion. Shared space and life. Shared meals. Shared staple foods which are non-GMO and Organic. Group decision making. Safe, inclusive space: queer and trans friendly, anti-racist, non-violent, and feminist. The purchase of the house by the co-op in about five years. The expansion of the co-op, possibly to include other housing types (like separate apartments). Weekly meetings and house committees to manage our community. We are considering implementing Sociocracy as an organizing method. Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 8:00am. We are looking for community members who: Want to live in a community not just have a place to sleep and eat. Want to live in a beautiful, clean, and organized house and are willing to help make and keep it that way. Residents should expect to spend 16 hours per month towards this goal. Are curious, compassionate, flexible, and open to living with others who will undoubtedly have different ideas about many things. Are interested in pioneering a new co-op. There will be work involved to get there. Are responsible and communicative. Embrace enthusiastically that living in community requires introspection and personal growth. Are not joining the community as a way of running away from something.
Offer

Join our newsletter to stay up to date.

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

Free Plan

Free plan
Free

Advertise in our Directory

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

Become a + Member

  • Send Direct Messages and see contact information
  • Find communities based on your profile tool
  • Post Needs & Offers Listings and Events
  • Access to resources in the Members Library /// like vetted documents uploaded by communites (e.g. bylaws )
  • Member badge on your profile
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Create Private Groups