Affordable Housing For Concerned Tree Changers

John Waters has emailed us about his evolving Base Camps Conservation Network project. He says most of his days are spent researching other ‘intentional communities’ trying to get it right, especially the legal aspects.

Base Camps For People Who Want To Make A Difference

There are hundreds of thousands of people with a passion for environmental conservation, bush regeneration and fauna protection who exist in cities and towns and who would love a ‘tree change’.

Cohousing and eco-villages are an option but for many older people – like John – the cost is beyond their scope. For a variety of reasons they have no savings and face living on an aged pension or disability benefit for the rest of their lives – just enough to survive. Many are obliged to live with all the problems and the insecurity of rented accommodation.

John currently lives at the Aratula Caravan Park where he is working on establishing a network of communities that provides affordable accommodation for people living on a fixed income including Centrelink Pensions and Benefits.

Having researched a lot of intentional communities in Australia and overseas, John has come up with his Base Camp idea which allows members a wide range of locations that they can move between or stay as long as they wish.

A not for profit foundation will hold all property and improvements in trust for the mutual benefit of the environment and the members. It will operate under Caravan Park and Mobile Home Park legislation.

It is anticipated that members will join a group activity and volunteer their energy for a few hours a day participating in something they are passionate about.

Some Detail

• Members to pay rent of $100 per week from their limited fixed incomes such as investments and Centrelink Pensions and other Benefits
• Joining fee – $5000 and payable by installments
• Members to jointly plan, build and operate the park using an on-line participatory decision making process, which allows all residents equal voice
• Members to volunteer their energy and join groups of like minded people participating in activities they are passionate about and are beneficial to the community, for a couple of hours a day. Members’ services to be ‘volunteered’ to various conservation organizations, as well as contracting to councils and farmers
• Initially, accommodation to be in caravans, later to be replaced with council approved cabins and units
• Clusters of from 10 to 30 residents would be spaced around the property and sharing group houses for socialising and meals etc
• Total population at any location to be about 300 residents
• Members to move within a location or to a new location without cost or penalty

Difficulties To be Addressed

Some already established community title or multiple occupancy communities have social problems, John notes, largely because there are not enough members to provide a wide enough range of experience and abilities.

There is also the risk that some individuals will dominate decision making processes which can cause communities to fail.

Background

• In 2001 John published a small article in the Grass Roots magazine to test the water with his idea and over 50 people contacted him. He was not really ready to proceed as his kids were still at home but he thinks by the end of 2009 there may be some ‘real action’ … probably at Aratula, 80 kilometres south west of Brisbane where he is living now
• John is a city born sheep farmer who, from the time he lived in Kuranda North Queensland in the late 60’s, has been dreaming of living in a rural sustainable community
• After life in Kuranda John lived and travelled in Asia for nearly 20 years observing communities – mostly in Indonesia where he lived for 15 years in a small village on the outskirts of Jakarta
• He represented foreign companies working around Asia and conducted his own import export businesses – clothing, furniture, mining equipment etc
• In 1988 he returned to Australia with an Indonesian born wife and four children, moved to the Gold Coast in 1996 and worked in tourism and aged care/disability support

For More Info

Contact John Waters: Mobile 0409 646 993, email: basecamps@live.com

Let us know how it all goes John?