From recent visits and involvement in local communities my opinion is that you need a firm structure with defined rules that allow individualism and sustainable planned growth for the future, this system needs to include fair dealings all round and respect.

Some of the Communities Silvia & I have been active, traveled or studied in since 1988.

• Samoa, NZ Maori, Fiji, Noumea, Cook Islands, Borneo
• Cyprus, Findhorn Scotland, 4 of the Island of Hawaii
• country Vic towns, Shepparton, Bairndale & Warrnambool and the small local communities we lived in while managing Major businesses in the town.

 
Local community groups involved  in, some we help set up or managed over the years:

• Mountain Districts Permaculture Group,
• Permaculture Melbourne,
• Heritage Fruits Group (PcM)
• Heritage Fruits Society Inc.
• Royal Horticultural Society UK
• Friends of Brogdale (UK International Fruit collection)
• Vic educators group- permaculture PDC & APT
• Healsville farmers market,
• Olinda and Mt Dandenong tourist markets,
• Rare Breeds Australia
• Llama society
• Scottich Highland Cattle Society
• Samoyed club of Vic
• Local community houses, Olinda, Monbulk (President), Kallista, Emerald,
• Mountain Districts women’s co-op ( FTG)
• Windana Society Therapeutic Community,
• Coles Myer Ltd.
• recent  I was appointed to the "Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Review  Panel"  for VCE Hort & Agriculture
• VFMA -Vic farmers market assn
• Slow foods convivium Dandenong Ranges
• Slow Food Melbourne

 2010 update- recently I watched a show recomended to me by my students on Earthships and community living, in it they changed US law (after 5 years) to allow a section of the local "shire" thus allowing experimental planning to ocurr, this included new building methods & design, communal living, exprimental energy generation & saving methods.

Why can't we do something of this nature here in sections of Australia.

As stated in the show,  planning laws become so restrictive that they stifle innovation and thinking out side the box, just look at new controls we now have since the laughable 5 star rating came about (we need 25 star ratings). Or the new restrictions with building in a fire area, both fail to recognise good design and only focus on simple building "Mainsteam" methods and materials that "prop up their Mates" businesses.