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Charlotte is an energetic 73-year-old woman with a friendly smile and a sharp wit. For the last two decades, she’s been living in an intentional farming community called “Chance Farm” with other individuals and families in the Byron hinterland.
But recently, she realized something: She’s getting older. Though she loves the farm, living far apart on separate acreage means that neighbours don’t see each other that often and can’t easily help each other in a pinch. Caring for the large piece of property is getting tougher, too.
So she and some friends have begun discussing building a new community— in town close to services -where houses could be built closer together, more activities will be shared, and neighbours will grow food and maintain their lifestyle, while caring for one another.
It turns out that Charlotte and her friends are not alone in their needs or aspirations for greater housing choice, diversity and equity.
Rojo and Beth are local workers. Beth a teacher in the community school, and Rojo who is studying acoustic engineering at the local college, picks up work part-time in the local music scene . They, like Charlotte, have been connecting with friends, discussing their current plight of having to commute long distances to work and study, because they can’t afford to rent, let alone buy, in Byron Shire. They are looking to set up a housing cooperative, pool their resources, buy some land and owner build smaller more compact greener homes, to keep out the middle man as Rojo puts it.
The issue they all face however is where to find the suitable land and how will the community react to doing something a little different.
Then there’s Dennis, a volunteer for meals on wheels, who, like Charlotte, is also feeling his age. He lives on his own in a four bedroom house with a large yard he does not use, but has to upkeep. Dennis, like his neighbour would like to downsize, free up the capital in his home and maybe get away more often to visit the grandkids. He is acutely aware however, that as it stands, to downsize he would probably have to leave the community in which he has spent his life. As a retired urban designer he loves the character of his street and toyed with the idea that the street could provide more homes and keep the local character that makes it special.
Could a place like Dennis’ street provide opportunities for all three options to be realised?
The strategy promotes opportunities to manage residential land and development to support community wellbeing and a desire to leave a better place for future generations.
