FAQ

You can build as soon as you have approval from the Body Corporate and Tasman Council.

We are a growing community and prefer owners to build and live here (or rent out their property) but there is no requirement to build immediately. Remember that Body Corporate fees, Council rates and Waste Water fees all still apply to a vacant block.

Buildings at Tasman Ecovillage must comply with all relevant state and federal building codes as well as the Tasman Ecovillage Residential Building Design Guidelines that ensure your home aligns with the ethos of our village. The guidelines aim to be flexible whilst offering villagers some certainty over what will be built here.

The CBOS Tiny Houses Regulatory Note provides information about the regulations covering tiny houses. Also see Part 5 – Occupation of Caravans etc. in the Tasman Council Regulatory Services Bylaw document.

Yes, with approval from the Body Corporate and possibly from the Tasman Council (depending on whether the shed is classified as "low risk work" or not. For more information on "low risk work", see the CBOS Consumer Guide to Low Risk Building and Plumbing Work document. We envisage some shared sheds and workshops as part of our common facilities for the village.

Yes.

Possibly yes, with Body Corporate and Council approval. You may also be able to build two conjoined dwellings on one title.

Mains electricity and non-potable water are available at all lots. A sewer connection is available to all lots except lots 206 and 207 which are down hill from the sewage line and will need composting toilets, a macerator pump or some other creative waste solution. Fixed wireless NBN is available in the local area.

Our water is harvested from the roofs of the buildings, and pumped from the creek, the dam and the bore depending on availability. There is no mains water supply in Nubeena. Potable water is provided in multiple locations on common ground and dwellings in the Pods tend to have their own rainwater tank for potable use.

Yes, you are encouraged to do so. We are also investigating community energy systems such as micro grids.

Composting toilets are encouraged subject to Council approval.

The medium density and layout of the pods naturally creates a strong sense of community and existing community buildings provide opportunities to gather as a community. In terms of privacy, we encourage you to build this into the design of your home. As well, many of the lots provide ample opportunity for making private open space within the lot. For example, some of the lots in Pod C could include a private garden looking out into the trees. Community involvement and interaction, whilst encouraged, is entirely voluntary.

The lots have been kept deliberately small to encourage dwellings with a smaller footprint, to promote social interaction and to maximise space for food production and community facilities. The lots allow for a reasonable size dwelling and some surrounding personal space. By sharing resources and facilities we don’t need larger homes that are costly in terms of the environment and our hip pocket.

Circular lots were an early design choice but are not especially practical. Some of the lots are in the process of being "squared up" to make it easier to fit rectangular houses and water tanks and to make it easier to define the boundaries once a dwelling has been built on the lot. 

Traditional perimeter fencing of residential lots is discouraged but fencing may be necessary to keep children or pets from wandering or to keep the native animals out of your home garden. If you do need to fence, consider living fences and hedges as alternatives to traditional fencing.

There are currently around 45 full-time residents (including children) in the village, plus various visitors, WWOOFers and helpers, depending on the season. Other members own investment property in the village but live off-site.

Some owners have their own gardens and there are various shared gardens on common property including a shared community garden. Fat Beets Food Hub helps with distributing surplus produce.

We actively seek to reduce our collective footprint. We recycle what we can internally and compost as much of our organic waste as possible. We live in small, energy-efficient homes that have small environmental footprints. We aim to share resources wherever possible. We grow some of our food on-site. We can walk or cycle to local services and share transport whenever possible. We are working towards generating renewable energy for our homes. We practice shared decision-making processes and we create opportunities to work, play and eat together to make our daily lives easier and generally more wonderful!

You can garden on your own lot and with Body Corporate approval, you can create a garden with your neighbours within your pod or elsewhere on the property. There are already some established community gardens and we encourage you to become involved in their care.

Animals can only be brought into the Ecovillage and remain at the Ecovillage with written permission from the Body Corporate. Certified service animals are permitted to live at the ecovillage.

Yes! Residents are provided with a code to access the door key.

Each lot has at least one car parking space on common ground in a common car parking area adjacent to each pod. Overflow parking is provided for visitors.

Tassielink operates a daily bus service to and from Hobart from Monday to Saturday. The Nubeena district school, bank, supermarket, post office, doctor, chemist and cafe are a 5 minute walk from the village. It helps to have access to a car when living in rural Tasmania.

Please contact us well in advance of any planned visit so we can make sure someone is available to show you around.

The village zoning allows certain types of businesses to be run from home, providing they do not interfere with the “quiet amenity” of neighbours.

Some employment is available within the broader community on the Peninsula in administration, teaching, tourism, aged/health care, hospitality and farming. Given the availability of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Nubeena, you can also work remotely, run a business from home, or perhaps work part-time in the city. Remember, too, that if your living costs are lower, you don’t need to earn as much!

The CDF was established to provide funds for constructing community facilities and upgrading infrastructure to bring it more into line with our Vision. CDF contributions come from a percentage of the initial sale of each lot from the developer and from a percentage of Body Corporate fees. Regular repairs and maintenance costs come from a separate body corporate administrative fund and a sinking fund.

Body Corporate levies are $2700 per year. Body Corporate fees also cover building insurance including all common and private buildings. The Body Corporate levy is discounted by 50% for up to 12 months after the initial sale of vacant lots. Council rates are around $750 per year on an unimproved lot and around $1500 per year on an improved lot and the TasWater waste water charge is about $470 per year on vacant lots and then about $780 per year when connected to the sewer. Land tax is due on vacant lots or on a property that is not your primary residence and is a percentage of the value of the land.

Body Corporate levies and waste water charges are generally paid in quarterly instalments and you can also elect to pay your Council Rates in quarterly instalments.

Concession card holders can apply for a discount on Council Rates and waste water charges.

Last updated: 28th October 2025

Demand for rental accommodation in the local area is high and it is likely that housing you own in the village - either directly or through a self-managed super fund - can easily be rented for short or long-term accommodation. Tenants are encouraged to participate in community life and those staying longer than six months are encouraged to apply for TEVA Membership.

Long-term rental accommodation is sometimes available and we are working on creating some short stay accommodation.

A community development scheme is a type of strata title development (see next question) that allows for a variety of land tenure arrangements and flexible governance structures.

A strata title is a type of land tenure. You own your title outright (like owning your own house and land) and can borrow against it and leave it as an inheritance. Your title also includes rights and ownership of common property. At Tasman Ecovillage your title includes shared ownership of 19 acres of common ground and community facilities.

The body corporate is the governing body for a strata title scheme and consists of all owners in the scheme.

Owners make these decisions in consultation with residents and other stakeholders.

The Body Corporate is responsible for maintaining the common property. An external management company is sometimes engaged to assist us with managing the property.

Conflict provides an opportunity to access the wisdom of the group and an opportunity for personal growth. We are committed to learning and practising ‘Non-violent’ or ‘Compassionate’ communication and we have conflict resolution procedures in our Body Corporate by-laws. Good group process (transparent and inclusive decision-making) and community glue (activities that contribute to group cohesion) both contribute to creating a harmonious community.

Owners, residents and other stakeholders are all encouraged to join Tasman Ecovillage Association (TEVA) so the whole community has input into decision making. TEVA can consult the community and make recommendations to the Body Corporate. Meetings are held regularly and we aim for consensus in our decision-making. When consensus cannot be reached we can vote when a decision is needed.