By ANNE BESTON
A $7 million alternative lifestyle dream is about to become a reality in West Auckland and a New Zealand first.
Called a co-housing project, the Earthsong Eco-neighbourhood is a group of about 35 people who are abandoning the nuclear family lifestyle for a more communal approach.
The group has bought
a 1.67ha, $600,000 site off Swanson Rd in Ranui and will begin building its 32-home community later this year.
"Nuclear family living can be such hard work," said project member Cathy Angell, a 48-year-old landscape consultant. "But here you don't have to come home from work and cook a meal, you can eat in the communal dining room. It's also a way of getting away from consumerism. I mean, who needs 32 lawnmowers?"
Homes will be linked by walkways and range in price from $40,000 to $285,000. All will be on separate titles.
"That's a fundamental part of it, that you can sell up any time you like," said founding member Robin Allison, a 45-year-old self-employed architect.
The project has been designed and will be run by the residents. Said Ms Angell: "You have to have a very high meeting tolerance."
Ms Allison said membership was open to anyone but people "weeded themselves out after attending a few meetings."
The site will have a large communal building with dining area, living area, craft room and communal laundry.
In keeping with overseas co-housing projects, there will be strong emphasis on being environmentally friendly - all the houses will have solar household and water heating and stormwater will be treated on site.
Ms Allison is quick to distance Earthsong from the Centrepoint community in Albany founded by convicted child sex offender Bert Potter.
"This is very different, although there will certainly be expectations people will participate, otherwise it will just dissolve into a standard suburban neighbourhood."
Earthsong is having an open day on site this Sunday. So far, 21 of the 32 homes being built have been sold.
