Mildura Eco Living Park
The Mildura Eco Living Park (MELP) is the product of over three years of community consultation led by the Sunraysia Sustainability Network (SSN) with the support of Mildura Rural City Council (MRCC). It is a staged program with the aim of assisting the Sunraysia community to move toward a more sustainable and prosperous future.
The MELP will be developed as a world-class demonstration site and a hub for programs which will encourage a positive and lasting influence on community attitudes to more sustainable ways of living. The 4 hectare MELP site will be based at the Mildura Landfill on Ontario Avenue adjacent to the Mildura Golf Club.
In 2010 MRCC secured funding from Sustainability Victoria to develop a site masterplan for the MELP, education program and to construct an Eco Living Centre (MELC) based at the Mildura landfill site. Other elements of the MELP Masterplan may include;
- Café/bakery, specialising in healthy, organic food
- Biodiversity area based around the landfill stormwater dam
- Demonstration of arid land permaculture
- Community garden
- Aquaponics facility
- Mushroom farm
- Earth building centre
- Community mud brick yard
- Workshops for constructing electric vehicles and solar arrays
Project Management
The MELP Project will be governed by a Steering Committee with representation from MRCC Staff and Councillors, Sunraysia Sustainability Network, Sunraysia Institute of TAFE, Christie Centre, and Sustainability Victoria.
There are four development stages to the MELP project:
Stage 1 Mildura Eco Living Centre
The MELC is a multipurpose community facility displaying sustainable design elements, building practices and technologies. Site amenities and a cafe/bakery specialising in healthy, organic food are also planned but are subject to future funding. The MELC represents a vital step towards educating the community about the challenge of regional self- sufficiency to mitigate and adapt to climate change and drive future environmental opportunities.
Stage 2 Car Park
The Council depot will be moved elsewhere on the landfill site to provide a car parking area for the MELP.
Stage 3 Landfill Stormwater Dam
Recycled water and distilled saline ground water will be used to fill the on-site dam to sustain an extensive biodiversity area.
Stage 4 Renewable Energy Research & Development
This stage will provide for research into, and demonstrations of renewable energy technologies such as a solar farm and biogas digester; that are relevant to the Sunraysia region.
Related categories: Community | Food | Garden | House | Products | Transport | Waste | Recreation | Work
