Sustainability in a new community is not just about water and energy.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re very important factors, and as a\u00a0developer you take them quite seriously, but to me community and a sense of happiness are the real measure of sustainability.<\/p>\n
People can live somewhere and save lots of water and energy but, if they\u2019re not actually happy living there, they don\u2019t have a sustainable future.<\/p>\n
In the old days, people connected readily through church groups or sporting groups \u2013 footy clubs, tennis clubs. But a lot of these things are out of vogue nowadays, so we need a new means of bringing people together.<\/p>\n
What we try to do at Villawood is bring back the old scout hall and dance hall concept – somewhere people can walk to and meet up – with a residents\u2019 centre that is the centrepiece for building the whole community.<\/p>\n
We have people who come to live here from all different suburbs. They don\u2019t know who their neighbours are going to be. They want to meet new people and make new friends.<\/p>\n
How do you meet each other? We try to provide them with a melting pot of activity.<\/p>\n
So at Armstrong, for instance, we\u2019ve got a cafe, a parents\u2019 lounge where they can bring their kids and meet up and still see what\u2019s going on – what their kids are doing in the pool, the tennis courts, the barbecue area, the playground.<\/p>\n
For those who want a bit more fitness, we\u2019ve got a fantastic gym.<\/p>\n
Plus we have a social hub with a function room where there are lots of kids\u2019 birthdays, 21sts. We even have weddings here.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a great spot. People can all just meet each other, it becomes just a straight melting pot.<\/p>\n
The other thing that stems out of this place is new groups. We have swimming groups, playgroups, reading groups and\u00a0book groups. We\u2019ve got a Men\u2019s Shed, gardening groups.<\/p>\n
Any self-interest you\u2019ve got, you can put up a poster saying \u201cWho wants to start a new riding group? Leaving at six o\u2019clock to ride down to Barwon Heads\u201d and people turn up and you\u2019ve just started a new club. It\u2019s a great thing.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s what makes a really sustainable community.<\/p>\n
Rory Costelloe is executive director of Villawood Properties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sustainability in a new community is not just about water and energy. They\u2019re very important factors, and as a\u00a0developer you take them quite seriously, but to me community and a sense of happiness are the real measure of sustainability. People can live somewhere and save lots of water and energy but, if they\u2019re not actually […]<\/p>\n