On Sunday, Damjan and I visited Moora Moora cooperative community in Healesville. I am to write a neighbourhood regeneration policy for this place in my Environmental Policy subject, so we decided to make a half-day trip up to Mount Toole-Be-Wong for the Open Day.

What a pleasant surprise it was! I was a bit wary about being preached to by hard line environmentalists but the people were universally approachable and easy-going. We had afternoon tea then they took us on a tour of the site. About sixty people live in clusters of five households. Each cluster shares a vegetable garden and diesel generator. Each household has solar panels, chops their own firewood, builds out of mud and straw… and drives cars (unavoidable, when living on the urban/rural fringe with no public transport). There is a mix of professions, like builders, teachers, burglar alarm installers, accountants and psychologists.

I think I could be happy living in such a place, especially if I was surrounded by friends. We could make a TV show about it and call it ‘Friends’! There didn’t seem to be any concerns about lack of privacy because the houses were far apart and the people who lived there weren’t nosy or intrusive. That was my only concern about living in a strong community. Of course, it’s too far from the culture, amenity and activity in the city for my liking but I could probably get used to that.

This isn’t a very well-crafted blog entry. I’m a bit tired. I’ve just eaten some nice yogurt.