Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to provide an update on how her Suburban Homestead Project has been coming along. 

What is the Suburban Homestead Project?  

We’re transforming our small suburban Auckland property using homesteading and permaculture principles, showing that you don’t need a rural lifestyle block to grow food, produce more yourself and work more closely with nature.  

What we've done:  

Hot water heat pump:  

We’ve recently replaced our old hot water system with a Reclaim CO₂ hot water heat pump. We’re already seeing a significant reduction in our hot water energy use/bill –  around 64% less electricity used!  

Turning an underused space into a productive garden:  

We’re repurposing old timber posts (from Repost) that previously had a life in vineyards to create new garden edging in a darker, previously underutilised part of our section. The goal is a productive space filled with things our children will enjoy, including fruit trees, and somewhere we'll eventually bury both babies’ placentas.  

Designing with nature, not against it:  

We’re working with Treeborn to understand what will actually thrive in that space, including documenting sunlight at different times of day. It’s a good example of permaculture thinking: observing light, wind, water, and conditions first, then choosing plants and designing around what nature is already doing.  

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