Crystal Waters Ecovillage

Crystal Waters is a permaculture village on 640 acres of bushland at the headwaters of the Mary River, near Conondale in Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland. Home to more than 250 residents, it was designed on permaculture principles and shows low-impact living in practice. The community co-operative runs an annual Permaculture Design Course, monthly village markets, camping and guided tours.

Crystal Waters was designed in 1987 by Max Lindegger, Robert Tap, Barry Goodman and Geoff Young, and received the World Habitat Award in 1996. The village has 83 privately owned one-acre lots, shared common land managed by a body corporate, and a not-for-profit community co-operative that looks after shared areas and visitor services. The land is registered as Land for Wildlife, with a no dogs or cats policy and more than 35 years of tree planting. Visitors can camp at the EcoPark, join a guided tour, come to the markets on the first Saturday of most months, or hire the EcoCentre for functions.