PROJECT NEWSFLASH DECEMBER 2009

NSW State and Regional Development / concept strategy

“The Chimneys” Project has been selected to be part of an initiative being proposed by NSW State and Regional Development related to encouraging and increasing the wider community awareness  of environmental issues.

This initiative is called ‘Community Economic Transition Strategy’, with several   villages or towns forming community regions.  The community region in this instance would encompass “The Chimneys” as the educative centre with its proposed Environmental Education and Stewardship Fund, which is being established by Ian Bailey and Annie Georgeson.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has taken a keen interest in this strategy and will be adopting it throughout the shire.

Changes to Pacific Highway

Work on the section of the Pacific Highway which currently forms the eastern boundary of the Village is now complete.  The Kew By-pass opens on Thursday 17 December, diverting the Highway traffic some 300 metres farther to the east.  The Village will then be screened by hills and trees.  Easy access to the Village will be maintained while traffic noise will cease and any pollution impact be drastically reduced.

PROJECT NEWSFLASH NOVEMBER 2009

The Chimneys Sustainable Village Project is moving rapidly towards its final phase prior to site works and construction. The global financial crisis developed immediately following the zoning and development approvals for the Project, inevitably resulting in delays in negotiations with investors. However, this delay may have been fortuitous, because the Project, with its innovative sustainable features, is now more relevant than ever, and interest in it continues to grow. In addition, the decision in the last week by the NSW Government on Gross Feed-In Tariff policy will make the installation of photovoltaic panels on dwellings very attractive indeed.

There are several highlights from the past months:

The Chimneys Powerpoint Presentation
Ian has done a number of presentations to groups, both local and in Sydney, and those presentations have generated an enormous amount of interest and feedback. Ian has been invited to address the Warren Centre at Sydney University in early 2010, as well as the local TAFE College and the University of Newcastle, and was also a presenter at the regional annual conference of the Institute of Architects in Coffs Harbour in October.

AIA Regional Conference
Ian, who is responsible for the design of The Chimneys Project, was also honoured at that conference with a Commendation Award for a new house for clients in Hannam Vale, NSW. That house is totally self-sufficient for water and for energy, treats and recycles waste water, and has been designed using best practice passive solar principles.

Access Road
Design work and the preparation of engineering plans for the construction of Homedale Road, currently a private unsealed road, will begin in January 2010, and should be completed by April. The construction of this road to the northern boundary of The Chimneys site, and its dedication, is a condition of the Development Consent.

Pacific Highway
The upgrade and diversion of the Pacific Highway, which currently forms the eastern boundary of The Chimneys site, is due for completion in early 2010. This work in moving the highway some distance further to the east directly benefits the Project, because it will almost completely reduce highway traffic noise at the site, and it will allow alternative access for emergency vehicles to and from the site, as planned.

Lot Purchases
The number of enquiries from people interested in buying land and living at The Chimneys has actually increased over the last few weeks, and now approaches the number of lots which will be available. Conditional contracts will be available shortly after the development entity for the Project has been established.

Awards
The Project will be submitted for a number of awards once the development entity is in place and work is proceeding on the design and engineering aspects leading to registration of the Community Title. It was submitted for two awards in 2008, when it won the Sustainable Development category of the NSW Excellence in Surveying and Spatial Information Awards, and was named Best New Development in NSW for 2008 by the Greens.

Investors
Currently, discussions are under way with investors to take The Chimneys Project forward.

Skills
We have an eminently qualified and capable team ready to carry out the infrastructure design and construction tasks, as well as corporate relations and project communications.

Annie and Ian thank you for your continued involvement, support and interest in The Chimneys Sustainable Village Project; they will be involved on an ongoing basis with the project, including the establishment and operation of the Educational Trust located on the site.