FEATURING ON STAGE
TOOLS FOR BUILDING
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY LIVING
Saturday : TINY HOUSES
Speakers - MAIN STAGE
BOX OFFICE OPENS
DOORS OPEN
WELCOME + INVOCATION
INVOCATION
Meera Allen is an Australian based artist, singer-songwriter, dancer and yogini. A lifelong vegetarian committed to daily meditation practice, Meera is passionate about music, yoga and inner harmony. She loves sharing her peaceful, energetic presence inspiring her audience to feel the vibration of sound, discover new music and create shifts toward a more holistic life. She also teaches a range of yoga styles from restorative to Power Yoga to people with autism.
Meera shall be setting the tone for the event with her strong, beautiful and powerful presence with voice.
SANDY BOLTON MP • State Member for NOOSA
Queensland Parliament
Housing Affordability & Community
For over 25 years, Sandy has lived, worked and raised her three children in our community, residing in Kin Kin, Pomona and now Cooroibah with her partner, four times world lawn bowls champion, Ian ‘Shoey’ Schuback OAM.
Sandy has progressed her career, once narrowly missing Noosa Council's Lord Mayor she went on to successfully win the State Seat of Noosa in Queensland Parliament. Sandy is an independent government representative and pro-active community leader.
Sandy has been engaged in a wide range of roles including an NDIS project manager for disability service provider Sunshine Butterflies, a founding member of Innovate Noosa, a Director of the four local Bendigo Community Banks and Community Advisory Council Member of the Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network.
RICHARD TOWNSEND (Maleny, Queensland)
Smart Living Society Limited
SMART LIVING SOCIETY LIMITED was founded on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in the township of Maleny, Queensland, and is primarily concerned with affordable housing for the elderly, and integrating with all age groups in the community.
Ric shall be presenting a case for how they feel their concept is unique when compared to other general Over 50’s Villages/Resorts while addressing issues that are often neglected. In addition, he shall be discussing new levels of compact home construction affordability based on SMART's extensive research, and an almost new concept: 'Ageing in Location' – why we need it and what it means for the community.
Ric first became involved in the issue of homelessness as President of The Rotary Club of Maleny by having its board approve funding to conduct a study of the issue in Maleny. After public meetings held to discuss the findings he became a founding member SMART Living Society Limited. In the past Ric has delivered lectures to the Australian Society of Accountants, the Queensland TAFE, Taipei University, many Rotary Clubs and various small business groups.
VALERIE BARES & RIKKI PIETERS (Brisbane)
ESC CONSULTING
Rikki and Valerie are passionate Tiny House advocates. In 2016 they led a successful appeal to enable a Tiny House On Wheels to remain standing in a Brisbane inner-city suburb.
Since then, they have collaboratively developed the Tiny House Planning Resource and Tiny Planning Tree, aids for Local and State planning regulators and the broader community to explore potential solutions to housing affordability and density that might be delivered through a range of different scenarios.
They work with NGO's, not-for-profit organisations and community groups, private land & house owners, and academic partners to explore compact housing models that are flexible, affordable, connective and sustainable.
Q&A PANEL : "Where Can I Put A Tiny House?"
RICHARD HENRY WHITEHURST (USA)
The Overview Institute of Australia
THE OVERVIEW EFFECT
Psychotherapist, clinical hypnotist, published author, father, husband, ‘possibillian’ and ‘planetary contextualist’ – Richard Whitehurst has been involved in meditation, change work, and helping others to expand awareness since 1970.
His incredible presentation, 'The Overview Effect' is a powerful message that has changed people's lives - Forever. An overview of the planet that astronauts report feeling changed once they return to earth from deep outer space.
JIMMYZ HIRST • director of polkadot • community
Event Organiser
FUTURE TINY HOUSES: LIKE LEGO
Former media & music industry identity, social engineer, entrepreneur and even National Celebrity DJ, Jimmy has travelled the world for over seven years researching Eco Villages.
Find out about Tiny Houses and how they may be the key to creating connected and Sustainable Villages for the future. Learn how this type of eco smart, affordable, mobile housing can overcome community isolation and disconnection, and start to regenerate the small village living model for a more meaningful and effective way to live.
His vision extends to engaging the use of Technology to collaborate an open source operating system for Eco Villages which will allow people a new level of living with greater freedom to move around until they “Find Their Tribe”.
LARA NOBEL (Brisbane) - The Tiny House Company
How To Design & Construct A Tiny House On Wheels
Lara Nobel is highly regarded as one of the pioneers and early advocates for the Tiny Housing movement in Queensland. She will be sharing her insights into this trend. She designed, built and lived in these portable dwellings in Brisbane. She is also a qualified carpenter and architect and will be focussing her talk on the design and construction of Tiny Houses On Wheels (THOWs).
‘Tiny Houses On Wheels’ provide a unique solution to housing affordability, social and environmental problems at just 1/13th the size of the average Australian home.
After completing a Masters degree in Architecture, Lara transitioned to an apprenticeship in carpentry to gain some hands-on experience. Lara loves a challenge, so as a carpenter struggling to enter one the world’s least affordable housing markets she saw Tiny Houses as an exciting solution, which hasn't come without its ups and downs. Lara has gone on to win numerous awards both for her trade and design and now splits her time between designing and building tiny houses, tutoring architecture at university, and advocating for tiny houses.
Q&A PANEL : "What Does It Take To Build A Tiny House On Wheels"
TOM MILLER • Transition Foundation
Peer To Peer "Tribes"
Technology visionary Tom Miller sees a future where people will interact directly with each other (Peer 2 Peer) in a web of trust the world is already slowly migrating to, without the need for centralised systems of control, interference, power, and even corrupting third parties.
People can now transmit money directly to each other without the need for a Bank. One day, Communities will be able to choose how they fund their local health system based on a real net worth and results - not by government departments or insurance companies who control funding based on money-driven political agendas rather than naturally perceived health-driven principles.
Tom's insight is incredible - come and listen to how the future of living is about to unfold!
CHRIS WENBAN (VIC) • Tiny Footprint
Chris Wenban has been travelling the country collaborating and connecting Tiny House community groups and advocates in all states and regions.
The goal of the ATHA (Australian Tiny House Association) is to create an inclusive voice for representing all stakeholders in the tiny house community. ATHA will support advocacy with government and councils to form appropriate policy, planning and codes for Tiny Houses and provide information about safety and building requirements, tailoring these to suit the Australian conditions and culture.
Chris shall provide her latest update on the latest progress and initiatives for the Australian Tiny Housing Association.
New Zealand born Bryce Langston is emerging as an International YouTube Celebrity with his channel Living Big in a Tiny House now attracting well OVER 1 MILLION subscribers - he may as well be described as the Jamie Oliver of Tiny Housing. Bryce is also a film producer and television star, and a musician.
“I love the concept of marrying tiny architecture and permaculture to create a wonderfully sustainable living concept that is simple for others to follow.”
The YouTube series is dedicated to downsized, eco-friendly living. Tiny Houses, Small Space Design, DIY, Permaculture, Minimalism, Off-Grid Living. It is an important project for Bryce, as it symbolises another step towards a way of life that is more congruent with his values and passion for protecting the earth.
Bryce has worked as a permaculture consultant for the British Council, and also established an urban food forest on Auckland’s North Shore.
NEW BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE: Order HERE
SALLIE FRANCIS (South East Queensland)
The Francis Family Tiny House Blog
How My Family Went TINY
Sallie Francis has trailblazed new ground when it comes to modern, affordable housing. The popularity of her famous Facebook Blog has set a heading for other families to follow - it IS possible to live in a Tiny House, even as a family.
Families are faced with with balancing challenging household budgets, housing affordability, as well as living sustainably and economically, and Sallie's journey proves all that it CAN be done.
Blogging and documenting months of building, learning and designing a Tiny House from scratch built literally on the back of a truck, their modern nuclear family now comfortably live in a Tiny House On Wheels that serves all of their needs and has helped them create Community wherever they travel.
Q&A PANEL : "How We Went TINY"
Speakers - MEZZANINE (First Level)
DANIEL BRYAR - Local Candidate for The Greens
TRUST AS A CURRENCY
• How much trust do we place in our government?
• How much do we place on each other?
• Does trust always boil down to a monetary value, or is there a better way to tell strangers we are to be trusted with other people and property.
For the last five years Daniel has been a part of the local entrepreneur culture fostering technology development here on the Sunshine Coast. He has also been
heavily engaged in politics having run for Local, State and now Federal Parliament for The Greens.
He also understands that the biggest challenge of our generation is climate change, and that we must act on the accepted science in all jurisdictions with nothing less than evidence based policy, while keeping the principles of equality and equity in line with acceptable community standards.
PIERRE BLOM (Maleny, Queensland)
Civil Infrastructure & Social Engineer
BLUE ZONES
Pierre is a Civil Engineer who has been working as a Project Director on many major
civil infrastructure projects. He understands engineering from a physical
discipline, human engineering from a place structural sense.
A long story and journey has lead him to moving out of the city with his wife and
getting involved with the Tiny House Movement up to the point of opening
his doors to accommodating one of the region's leading Tiny Housing
advocates on their acreage property.
Along this journey Pierre had noticed a similarity between Blue Zones (where people live to over 100+ years old), and the THOW (Tiny Houses On Wheels) and Tiny Eco Villages Models. He would like to share this congruency that is emerging and is delighted to assist in spreading the growing base of knowledge that also truly supports what the polkadot • community wishes to achieve.
STEVE CRAN (Maleny, Queensland)
Green Permaculture Warrior
TINY HOUSE TRIBES
Steve Cran is a Permaculture Warrior who has been traveling the world re-establishing food and civil infrastructure particularly after natural disasters. Today, Steve will be delivering a talk on how to gain multiple benefits from groups of tiny houses in a permaculture designed working community.
Steve shall be illustrating his models for Tiny House Clusters, Clans and Hives and how they can more effectively pool resources and energy, increase food security, run business enterprises and boost the overall quality of people's lives.
Although the current rules do not provide for these models, Steve has some radical but practical ideas on how to change that.
The tiny house revolution has just begun. Steve’s message to the governments, banks, developers and all the “usual suspects” profiting from the current status quo, “RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!”
Neil Breytenbach (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)
Evolution Tiny Homes
PRO'S AND CONS OF BUILDING A TINY HOUSE
Neil Breytenbach is one of our feature Tiny House Builders at the Seminar, and he shall be talking directly to what everybody wants to know about building a Tiny House - with a few comparisons with their pro's & con's:
. Custom Made Windows & Doors vs Industry Standard Manufactured Parts (Warranty)
. Custom Kitchen vs Flat Pack Kitchens
. Thinking your Plumbing System through (Custom) vs Plumber Installed (Think Gas Certificate)
. Thinking your Electrical System through, 12V or 240v, Solar, Batteries and Weight.
. Trailer - Reputable Manufacturers vs Custom Made,Trailer Knowledge, Insulation, Galvanizing, Tyre Sizes
. Reclaimed/Recycled Materials vs Timber Yard/Warehouse - Longevity, Quality, Strength ove the
time it takes to clean the wood up and reconditioning it, then making it
. Builder, Carpenter, Plumber, Electrician : Industry Standards - Licensed vs "Having A Go")
. Project Tiny House vs Project Caravan - The Dollars!!
. Research & Do Your Homework
A fascinating and imperative talk guaranteed that comes with experience, and great advice.
RICHARD SMITH (Coolum Beach, Queensland)
Aussie Tiny Houses
AUSSIE TINY HOUSES
Aussie Tiny Houses are an exciting business on the Sunshine Coast located in Coolum dedicated to Tiny House building which they see is the future - they pride themselves on aesthetic designs and working with customers to help build their dream Tiny House.
Richard Smith from Aussie Tiny Houses will discuss some of the attention to detail Aussie Tiny Houses give when consulting to clients on best practices and design ideas when it comes to ensuring people move into a safe, attractive and legally built Tiny House.
PAUL BRANDENBURG & JEREMY HARKINS
(Sunshine Coast) Bespoke Habitats
How to Build a Tiny – Tiny & Modular Building
Paul Brandenburg’s construction industry experience commenced in 1982, progressing into Civil Construction then to focusing on Development Management. Jeremy has an extensive professional skillset acquired through many industries from Construction, Civil, Mining, Oil and Gas, Information Technology, Communications, Finance, Asset and Fleet Management.
Along with business partner Sandy Moore, they are very passionate about offering a range of solutions for the private and corporate markets and the unique possibilities with tiny housing options with a key focus on converted shipping container homes providing affordability, flexibility and sustainability.
Paul and Jeremy will provide key insights and learnings into building a tiny and why you should know about the Building Code of Australia and National Construction Code.