Christie Cooper at The Cape: Where savings and community grow
Recently, reporter and presenter Christie Cooper visited The Cape to find out what life is really like in one of Australia’s most sustainable housing communities. Known for her work on Channel 7 News and the Aussie Green Thumb Reporter YouTube channel, Christie and her family spent a few days getting to know the people, homes and landscapes that define our coastal neighbourhood.
Her segment, which aired on Channel 7 News, focused on how residents at The Cape are managing the rising cost of living—not through drastic changes, but through better design, smarter energy use, and strong community ties.
Looking at cost of living through a different lens
With electricity and fuel prices continuing to rise, many households are feeling the pressure. Christie’s report highlighted the savings that Cape residents are achieving by living in homes that are designed for efficiency and built for the future.
Every home at The Cape is 100% electric, powered by rooftop solar and supported by battery-ready infrastructure. These design choices, paired with passive solar principles, heat pump technology, and rainwater collection, are allowing some residents to save up to $6,000 per year.
As General Manager Clint Hare put it, “When the solar panels on your roof power your home and your car, the savings really stack up.”
Design that does the work
At The Cape, it’s the design decisions that shape how comfortably and efficiently people live. Passive solar design, orientation, cross-flow ventilation, insulation, and thermal mass all work together to keep homes comfortable with minimal energy use.
Builder Reece Stubbs from The Sociable Weaver lives in a Cape home that stays cool through summer without air conditioning. Jess and Phoebe Cuman from Adapt Design Group, live in a 9-star home and report their energy bills that are often close to zero, even while raising a busy family of six.
“What we set out to do was to create a healthy home that is affordable and can be emulated by others,” Jess said. “Getting the design right, coupled with the right appliances, certainly makes a difference.”
A hands-on visit
A passionate gardener and advocate for climate-positive living, Christie spent time meeting local residents, designers, sustainability experts, and Adrian, the farmer at The Cape Community Farm. Christie and Adrian spent hours together exchanging tips on growing in Foodcubes, discussing regenerative gardening and native plants, and exploring how the community farm model helps deliver zero-mile food—from garden to plate.
While Christie was learning more about The Cape, her kids were off making new friends, spotting wildlife, and digging for potatoes, which quickly turned into a spontaneous treasure hunt. Like many families who visit, they experienced how the design of the neighbourhood encourages people to slow down, connect, and explore.
Her visit highlighted how thoughtful design and strong community values can shape the way people live, not just now, but into the future.
You can see more from Christie’s visit on her Aussie Green Thumb Reporter YouTube channel and on Instagram at @christiecooper.
