A sustainable lifestyle is a core part of the Tasman Ecovillage vision.
Sustainability can be defined as the ability to continue a defined behaviour indefinitely. When considering our behaviour, it's useful to consider the environmental, economic and social implications, sometimes known as the "triple bottom line" or the "three pillars" of sustainability. The three pillars should not be considered in isolation as they are interdependent and often reinforce each other.
Environmental Sustainability
Water Diversity
At Tasman Ecovillage we have a diverse water supply:
- rainwater is harvested from roofs and collected into rainwater tanks for potable and non-potable use
- we pump water from the creek for non-potable use
- we pump water from the dams for non-potable use
- we have a bore (as a contingency) for non-potable use
A diverse water supply is important given the uncertainty over climate change and future rainfall.
Where possible, rainwater tanks overflow into non-potable water tanks so that the maximum amount of water is harvested and stored.
Energy Efficiency
Mains power in Tasmania is mostly generated from renewable energy so installing solar power systems is not necessarily a high priority (at least from a sustainability point of view).
Some residents are installing solar panels anyway as the return on investment makes economic sense (especially as we have no control over mains power prices in future) and to avoid the occasional mains power outage.
Obviously, new homes are being designed to minimise energy consumption and many of the previous motel units have been renovated to bring them up to modern efficiency standards.
Other Fuel
Instant gas hot water systems are being used in some locations where this makes sense and there are some gas cooking appliances.
Under certain conditions, residents may install solid fuel (e.g. wood) fired appliances for cooking, heating and hot water.
Recycling and Composting
We minimise our waste by not creating it to start with and by recycling where possible. General waste and recycling bins are emptied on a fortnightly basis using the service provided by the local Council.
Green waste, kitchen waste and other organic waste e.g paper and cardboard are generally recycled on site.
Tasman Ecovillage Residential Design Guidelines
In line with our sustainability aims, the Tasman Ecovillage Residential Design Guidelines impose some additional requirements to the standard regulatory requirements and home designs are subject to approval by the Body Corporate.
Economic Sustainability
Tasman Ecovillage may not yet be a "full-featured settlement" as per the Robert Gilman definition of an ecovillage but the Ecovillage does have its own internal economy with a number of employment opportunities and many residents already work full time or part time from home.
The Ecovillage is within Nubeena, the main town on the Tasman Peninsula so there are local employment opportunities and local consumers for goods and services offered by Ecovillage businesses.
Fixed wireless NBN is available in Nubeena which helps home based businesses relying on a good Internet connection.
Paid work required to be done by the Body Corporate such as building maintenance and work on the grounds is first offered to TEV Owners, TEVA Members and residents.
Community members are encouraged to use Community Exchange Network Tasmania (CENTs) which enables participants to exchange goods and services via a locally created currency. This helps to keep money in the local area and reduce economic leakage.
Social Sustainability
Tasman Ecovillage tried Sociocracy as our governance model but this did not work particularly well at least for some community members and perhaps because we lacked the proper training.
We have had great success using the coloured card system (thanks to the efforts of Sarah West) which helps to ensure everyone gets a say and keeps discussions efficient. We aim for consensus in our decision-making but when consensus cannot be reached one option is to vote using a 75% majority to make a decision.
Personal development courses e.g. in Non Violent Communication (NVC) are sometimes organised and residents are encouraged to attend. Free online resources where members can study at their own pace are also recommended.
Business meetings and other meetings are regularly organised so members have a number of avenues to air their views and share ideas.
Conflict resolution and other policies and procedures have been established and these are reviewed and updated as necessary and in consultation with the community.
Healthy Environment
With the cleanest air in the world and a temperate climate suitable for growing a wide range of fruit and vegetables, Tasmania is an ideal location for an Ecovillage.
The Ecovillage is in close proximity to the centre of Nubeena so we have a walkable neighbourhood. This enables us to walk rather than take the car (unless it's pouring with rain or we are doing a trolley load of shopping)!
In addition to the above Social Sustainability initiatives, other health related initiatives include:
- growing food on site as organically as possible
- including healthy home design in the Tasman Ecovillage Residential Design Guidelines
- minimising the risk from bush fires
- a fire and wood-fired appliance policy
- the Wellbeing Center
