Design - The Land
The Crystal Waters property is 259 hectares (640 acres) in size. 14% of the total land area has been subdivided into 83 privately owned lots. A Visitor's Area and The Village comprise another 6%. The remaining 80% of the land we own in common and includes small lakes, areas for agricultural and horticultural development, forestry plots and areas set aside for habitat. All the best land was identified during the planning process, and kept as common land to ensure everyone had access.

Crystal Waters is a permaculture village, designed in 1985 by Permaculture Services (now known as Eco-Logical Solutions).   Implementation of earthworks was finished in 1987 and the separate freehold titles were finalised in June 1988.

A permaculture village is one that is consciously designed and maintained to optimize and balance the ecosystem of the natural environment and the people living in it.

At Crystal Waters, the first step was strategic planning of the overall site with the objective of working with Nature in the design of the community. The character and qualities of the land, including topography, vegetation type and distribution, waterways, soil types, prevailing winds etc, were studied Crystal Waters... with Mary River on right.and mapped. Appropriate areas were then identified for specific uses, such as agriculture, roads, utilities, lot sites and a village centre, occupational and entrepreneurial activities.

By 1988, the supportive infrastructure was in place and sales of lots began. Since that time, the growth of the community, development of systems, and stewardship of the land have moved Crystal Waters towards realization of the ultimate vision of a fully functional permaculture village, though this is recognised as a continuing journey.

A few examples of the design elements:

  • Land which did not have a generally northern aspect, was too steep or could not absorb human waste safely was considered unsuitable for lots.
  • Lots were clustered to foster neighbourly interaction, but carefully placed to ensure privacy. (See lot selection criteria.)
  • Assistance was obtained from experts to avoid potential interference with aboriginal sites.
  • The large number of dams constructed offer recreational possibilities like swimming, canoeing and fishing. The water is a back up supply for irrigation, to top up our internal water system, or for fire fighting.
  • The dams attract wildlife and offer safe habitat for water birds, reduce the temperature extremes immediately around them, and are very attractive.
  • Mains power was available. The designers chose this option instead of insisting that residents use solar energy only, but by installing smaller than normal electric cabling villagers are persuaded to restrict their consumption. (See sustainable building.)