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SomerVille Ecovillage™ Current Status
The following steps have been completed for the SomerVille Ecovillage™ project: * Concept * Strategic plan * Community consultation * Raise funds * Purchase site * Ecovillage design
Currently in progress are: * Obtain approvals * Enterprise facilitation * Establish governance
Yet to be started are: * Build Infrastructure * Handover to community and build homes
The current step is subdivision approval which is the last step in the approvals process. This is expected to be achieved in late 2007 or early 2008. Once road infrastructure has been completed and lot titles have been issued (expected in 2008), building of homes will begin.
Sustainability in Action
Environmental, enterprise and social plans have been in place since the inception of the project. These plans continue to be developed and refined and ensure that the SomerVille Ecovillage™ will be continued into the indefinite future.
International research
Paul and Robyn Antonelli and family completed a five month trip in February 2005 after visiting ecovillages in Europe and the United States. This included 23,508 kilometres of road travel, visiting 13 countries, 25 communities and 6 educational facilities. New insights in areas such as governance, social and economic structures, layout and design will now be applied to the SomerVille Ecovillage™. For example, Sociocracy is now being investigated as a possible governance model.
Paul and Robyn found that the SomerVille community is truly at the forefront globally in the methodology of ecovillage establishment, and has much to share and offer other communities around the world.
SomerVille Ecovillage™ as a Model
The SomerVille project is quoted in the Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy as an ecovillage and cooperative example.
The team behind the SomerVille Ecovillage™ have documented the processes and lessons learned in developing SomerVille and are now making this available to other community driven ecovillage projects including:
* Perth Urban Ecovillage, WA * Geraldton Urban Ecovillage, WA * *
SomerVille Ecovillage™ in the Media
There has been interest in SomerVille from the media throughout the project. This has included articles in the local Hills Gazette newspaper, the West Australian newspaper, Ethical Investor Magazine and interviews with Radio National and ABC TV.
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