Gosford CBD Eco-village

1
Gosford CBD Eco-village

• Return to Suburban Bushland Living
• with
• Sustainable Ecological Innovations
• By
• Soo Man Heng
• Contact
• 02-43627983
• 041-3323106
• E-mail- ecoculture_at_optusnet.com.au
• Revised 28July,2007.

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Gosford CBD Eco-village?Can it happen?

• A seemingly impossible return to a satisfying and
  secure suburban way of
• living has become possible without compromising
  environmental values.
• Commute to Sydney within only walking distance to
  Gosford rail station, own solar power and still
  raise your own veggies amongst a bushland setting
  with endless water supply. Seems almost unheard
  of.
• Sounds too good to be true,
• but it IS possible.

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Proposed site Gosford CBD Eco-village
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City Homes with Village Outlook

• Gosford CBD Eco-village is designed with urban
  comforts and conveniences of a modern home but at
  the same time creating a relaxed atmosphere for a
  vibrant rural community.
• Located in the heartland of Gosford CBD the site
  imparts a wonderful sense being in a place i.e.
• So near yet so far
• A first step towards a robust and sustainable
  life-style a major cutback in man-made
  emissions.

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Aerial view of proposed site showing proximity to
Gosford CBD, Hospital, Rail Bus Station etc.
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Future self-sufficient live style

• Own energy latest in solar power technology
• Own water pipeline No water restrictions
• Recycle own degradable waste in worm farm
• Cultivate own permaculture food and honey
• Grow chickens and fish
• Live in passive energy homes
• Reduce sewage effluent with separate pipeline
• Help lower vehicle emission by public transport

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A Retreat Home Plan

• Living here you have many choices
• A game of Golf, or a relaxing meal in the club
• Fishing or boating in Narara Creek or
• A casual bush walk with the family or
• Join in the series of Showground fun time or
• A stroll in nearby shopping centres or sample
• the vegies from your own permaculture-garden
• Be invigorated the next day by walking to the
  station for a stress free ride to work
• Feel safe that children can walk to/from school

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Location! Location! Location!

• Last 17yrs the Soo family owns a pristine fish
  farm, behind Gosford Showgrounds Gosford
  Golf-course
• A 10 acre rural (1a) site - within walking
  distance to
• Gosford CBD, rail/bus station, schools,
  recreational facilities, hospitals clubs,
  workplaces, shopping centres etc.
• Public utilities e.g., road access, electricity,
  water, gas, communication and sewage are at the
  doorstep, waiting for the right connection to
  complement a new sustainable way of living

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Site Zoning History

• 1968 zoned 5(a)Special Uses Sewage Treatment
  Works Operation closed in 1978
• From1978 to 1990 the site was vacant
• Soo bought it in 1990 for Aquaculture
• 18/9/90 rezoned to 1(a) Rural-LEP No 259
  (Aquaculture) from then
• Applied only biological remediation to purified
  the sludge lagoons sludge reduced gt90

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Councils Rezoning Requirements

• Contamination report the NSW Dept of Health
  permission to set-up Oyster Depuration Plant on
  site is testimony to its cleanliness.
• Flood assessment meets 1 in 100 yrs flood
• Flora and fauna assessment
• Traffic report
• (Detail report anticipated to exceed Councils
  requirements in the final submission.)

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Objectives of proposed Gosford CBD ECO-village?

• An integrated and secured suburban settlement for
• People who strongly desired to live in
• Low eco-impact sustainable life-style with
• Affordable, comfortable and fire-resistant
  housing.
• Residents united by common intention to
• Abide by eco. socio-economic values to
• Employ permaculture, solar energy, recycled
  water, rain water storage and GECA Good
  Environmental Choice Australia) building products
  to
• Establish an environmentally responsible housing
  project and a Permaculture Centre for future
  generations.

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Design principles for proposed Gosford CBD
Eco-village

• Land use upgrade from aquaculture to bushland
  setting
• Sustainable water supply assurance with separate
  pipelines
• Reduced sewage effluent discharge by at least 80
  
• Provide wetland storage gt20ML rain water
  storage gt2ML
• Substantial reduction of residential organic
  garbage gt95
• Garden/food waste recycled in worm farm for
  conversion to
• Organic fertilisers to sustain permaculture
  programme
• Solar energy to significantly replace
  non-renewals
• Use GECA building materials with low embodied
  energy
• Encourage social cohesion extended family
  life-style
• Develop community recreational and child-care
  facilities

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Proposed layout for Gosford CBD Eco-village
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Estimated level of self- sufficiency

• Domestic energy gt 80 - pv solar hot water
• Town water for drinking/ablution- 50
• Washing/toilet water 100 rain/bore water
• Outdoor untreated water 200 Golf-course
• Organic fertilisers100 food waste/worm farm
• Organic vegies/fruits 100 - Permaculture
• Honey/chicken/fish - lt10 Bee-hives/wetland
• Reduced transport emissions/energy-walking
  distance to public transport, schools and CBD.

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Eco-houses for future-living in Gosford CBD
Eco-village

• Fire resistant, sound insulated, six star energy
  rated Hebel AAC houses in secured bushland
  setting
• 28 clusters of 2 x 3-level North-facing, passive
  energy, flats
• Built to attain privacy, warmth optimise land
  use for
• Wetland, worm farm, permaculture garden, water
  storage, safe recreational facilities and animal
  corridors
• Convenient pipe-in gas supply
• Roof rain water collector
• Each unit has separate town and rain water
  pipeline, grey water and sewage pipeline and
• Renewable passive solar energy, active solar pv
  grid connected and hot water systems

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Estimation of responsible land use

• Housing strata----------------------------- 15
• Home-occupation------------------------- 4
• Roads-----------(Owned in common)- 15
• Wetland habitat water storage---- 15
• Wildlife corridors-------------------------
  5
• Permaculture, worm and bee farm ---16
• Gardens open space------------------ 15
• Play grounds, community facilities--- 15
  
  Total Area
  100

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Environmental Sustainability Targets for a
Healthy living Society

• Grid connected solar power hot-water system to
• Sequestrate about 1000tons of CO2 and
• Produced nearly 900,000kWh renewable energy per
  yr
• Roof top rain collection and water storage
  supplement
• gt7 ML of water per year for washing clothes,
• Grey water recovery gt22ML of water for plants
  golf course irrigation
• 100 tons / yr food waste - produce 100 tons
  organic fertiliser to
• generate 50-80 tons of permaculture food
  crops by residents
• Worm-farm provides feed for chickens and fish
• Bees help pollination and produce gt1000kgs of
  honey per year
• Private transport expense substantially reduced
  with co-op car pool
• Walking to schools and public transport will
  improve community health

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Benefits to the community

• Available affordable and durable housing
• Gosford CBD Eco-village help residents generate
  savings in
• Transport, water, electricity, gas, food etc.
• Less waste provides more for everybody
• Help improve community social cohesion and
  ecological life-style
• Power for Eco-community to initiate sustainable
  ecological, economic and social changes to
  achieve environmental balance harmony.

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Estimated Number of beneficiaries in proposed
Gosford CBD Eco-village

• 56 young families
• 56 middle age families
• 112 seniors
• A total of 350-400 people could be provided with
  ecologically sustainable homes in bushland
  village setting almost within the heartland of
  Gosford CBD.

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Benefits to Council

• 2ML rainwater storage tank saves Council more
  than 200,000 in water tank subsidies and
  connection fees.
• Increase rates collection by gt118,000/yr
• Inject gt3million into the Citys economy/yr
• Residents in Gosford CBD Eco-village has the
  smallest ecological foot-print in the City
• A genuine urbane eco-village in Gosford

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Future Vision

• Cohesive community - prepared to share knowledge
  of sustainable living with others
• Establish Central Coast Permaculture Centre - a
  think tank for developing-
• Practical permaculture designs,
• Promotion of renewable domestic energy
• Unique Bio-recycling system of used water
• Design construction of Eco-housing.

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Please consider

• Previous thinking that simply selling resources
  brings revenue are seriously outdated.
• We need a better model akin to a circular economy
  that is built-into this project
• An improved housing paradigm that will lead us
  into a more healthy and sustainable future.

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Purpose and aim

• Soo Man Heng has a sole purpose in introducing
  time proven principles of sustainability into the
  local economy. Principles which have a firm
  scientific credentials portray his background.
  Soo has three university degrees to his name
• He has proven his point by his successful
  redemption of the Gosford Sewage Treatment Plant,
  some 17 years earlier turning it into a lucrative
  fish farm. Previous sludge ponds from earlier
  years have become a mecca for birds, after
  recovering it from a previous ecological
  wasteland.
• He proposes the planning and development of a
  small eco-village community within walking
  distance of the Gosford CBD.
• This community will be close to 100 self
  sustaining and carbon neutral, a positive venture
  to help us cope with the fragile future.
• Statement by Peter Adderley