Having become entirely fed-up with the lack of progress by Adelaide City Council on getting a suitable development on the old Halifax Depot Site (the Halifax Site has been empty for 8 years), Wirranendi Inc. has bought two pieces of land off Sturt Street (which runs on from Halifax Street). These sites constitute the Whitmore Square EcoCity Project.

This project is a proposal for a mixed-use ecological co-housing development of townhouses, apartments, offices and co-housing facilities on two sites comprising a 2000sq metre site (Christie Walk - 6 townhouses, a strawbale cottage, 6 apartments, an adobe community house and a small green office building) and a 750sq metre site (Bourne Court - 5 townhouses) close to Whitmore Square, the South Parklands, the Central Market and the Gouger Street Restaurants in the 'Square Mile' of the City of Adelaide.

The development is being undertaken by the above mentioned Wirranendi Inc., a non-profit housing co-operative. The funding for the development is entirely from private and ethical financing sources and does not involve any government monies. Wirranendi (meaning 'returning to bushland' in the native Kaurna language) was initiated by Urban Ecology Australia and is one of the outcomes of UEA's pursuit of eco-city development over the past 8 years.

The buildings will demonstrate a number of construction systems and climate responsive architecture for north-south and east-west orientated buildings in a compact, medium-high density urban infill context.

Construction will be non-toxic and highly energy efficient, greatly exceeding current Australian standards of environmental performance. Finishes and fittings will comply with the highest available environmental performance, e.g. non-toxic paints, low water use plumbing and energy efficient appliances.

The entire development program has been initiated and sustained by an active local community of families, businesses and community organisations. The non-profit structure of the development entity enables the channelling of surplus into provision of appropriate technologies for the development, the construction of shared co-housing facilities and restoration of rural degraded land. The development will be 'community titled' and self-managed under a community corporation.

The commercial/office accommodation is designed to maintain comfort levels without mechanical air conditioning and to create a healthy, stimulating work environment. All floors of the mixed-use building will be wheelchair accessible.

Climate responsive design is being complemented by maximum economic use of renewable energy for heating, cooling, electricity generation and water heating. The co-housing facilities assist in reducing total energy and resource use, e.g. by eliminating separate laundries in the dwellings. Waste water recycling and stormwater conservation and use is integral to the site management.

Paved areas are semi-permeable and all plantings on the site and its buildings, which are designed with a large area of balconies or roof gardens, are low water use, and indigenous or native vegetation is favoured. A community garden has been designed into the Christie Walk site and permaculture classes will be conducted with the residents to design the landscaping of both sites. Rural revegetation strategies are being incorporated into the total urban based development program.

Vehicle access is restricted to the north and south ends of the Christie Walk site with no through-traffic; there will be no through traffic on the Bourne Court site thus creating child-safe, pedestrian-friendly environments suited to community orientated living. The site history of Christie Walk has recently been investigated, and it was discovered that an old stone building backing onto the site was originally the barn for Adelaide's first horse-drawn trams! The spirit of the site's renewable energy transport history is supported by the Whitmore EcoCity Project's emphasis on an urban form that is conducive to walking and cycling, and excludes vehicular (other than emergency) traffic.

The Community Aid Abroad Ethical Investment Trust provided finance to Wirranendi as Project Developer. Their loan assisted with site purchase and preparation of the site for construction. We are very excited about this partnership with an ethical investment fund in furthering the work of ecological development in Australia which has since been taken up by the Bendigo Bank. This community-based financial institution, who have demonstrated a particular commitment to provide banking services in rural Australian regions where the dominant banking organisations are closing branches and cutting services, has recently agreed to take over the commitment made by CAA-EIT and advance further funds.

In addition to the support of CAA-EIT and the Bendigo Bank, we have also received funds from several individual investors. Many thanks to these people, who are playing a vital role in making the project come to life. Investment loans to date total over $170,000.

The interest in and response to the Whitmore Square EcoCity Project so far has been excellent, both from investors and prospective buyers. It gives us a great launching pad into next year with a successful project under way that we hope will provide a model for community based ecological urban development and demonstrate exactly what we had in mind when we first proposed the idea of building 'a piece of ecocity' on the Halifax Depot site back in 1991!

Contact
Paul F Downton, Sharon Ede and Chérie Hoyle,
Urban Ecology Australia,
84 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000.
Tel/Fax: +61 8 8232 4866
E-mail: urbanec@metropolis.net.au