The Paddock eco village in Reckleben Street Castlemaine is fast taking shape, despite the pandemic and great instability in the building industry.
“We’ve managed to keep going through it all,” developer Neil Barrett said. “15 houses plus a community centre are now happily occupied.”
Work on the final stage of 11 houses began in May this year and are due to be completed in September next year. So far, eight of these have been sold off the plan, allowing the project to proceed with confidence.
“Right now there are 22 people living here. Fortunately, it’s attracted a pretty diverse group of people, young and old, male and female, from various backgrounds including medicine, childcare, law, cycle touring, and teaching,” Mr Barrett said.
“One of the guys is currently in New Zealand for a month to run several bike tours, another has transitioned from working in government in Melbourne to help build the Castlemaine Institute, and another is soon to complete his PhD on regional governance.
“The comfort level in the houses designed by Crosby Architects has been greatly appreciated by residents.
“The 8.5-star rating and the 4kW of solar on the roofs have also resulted in incredibly low energy bills.
“Residents are now considering an investment in batteries to make better use of the solar output and to help avoid blackouts of the sort we suffered recently.”
Residents say they are often asked how the community is governed. They respond that they do the work themselves, instead of hiring a manager, gardeners and a bookkeeper. Time will tell if this will work in the long run as some special skills are often needed.
Residents also meet informally on Friday nights and Sunday mornings to enjoy a cuppa or a glass, exchange tips on gardening, hear about events coming up in Castlemaine, and simply enjoy each other’s company.
Residents are also getting involved with local organisations such as landcare, the SES, local radio and West End Resilience.
“The food growing gardens, including about 25 wicking beds, are at their peak now while the growth in the large number of native plants surrounding the houses has been little short of phenomenal,” Mr Barrett said.
“Ultimately we hope that by providing a model of sustainable living, the idea will spread and make a contribution to emissions reduction around the world.”
Over the next few weeks, the Paddock is holding site visits in order to offer the final three houses to the public. Readers are invited to go to thepaddock.com.au to find out more about this path-breaking local project.
