Kwoorabup Commons Cooperative

by Charlie Mgee

Some of you more seasoned permies may remember Living Waters Permaculture in Kwoorabup/Denmark, which was an important part of WA permaculture in the Great Southern for over 20 years and delivered PDCs to some of our most legendary personalities such as Gardening Australia’s Josh Byrne.

A lot has changed over the years and the place is now a permaculture ecovillage, with over 45 people keen on living the ethics of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share in close proximity to our home.

An exciting prospect is now on the table to resurrect the rammed earth building in the centre of the community (which was originally built as a solar herb-drying facility and that acted as a living classroom and community events space for many years) into a regional permaculture and food resilience hub to encourage community wellbeing, social cohesion and mental health through regular gatherings, skill-shares and permaculture workshops/courses.

To get things up and running, we’re looking to form the ‘Kwoorabup Commons Cooperative’ as an innovative and impactful group that operates with a focus on sustainable and regenerative living practices, permaculture, community building, and economic empowerment for the Great Southern region and beyond. We’ll have more info as the year progresses, but if you’re interested in the project or think you might have something to offer, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line at: peacestcommunity@gmail.com

Charlie Mgee lives and works at Peace St Community (formerly Living Waters Permaculture) in Kwoorabup/Denmark and is leader of permaculture electro-funk/swing band Formidable Vegetable.