Hannah Clemen came from Melbourne to attend the Tiny Houses Australia meetup. 

The conservation and land management student is considering building a tiny house once she completes her studies. 

“I am very passionate about sustainable living,” Ms Clemen said. 

The idea appeals to her on a pragmatic level, and ethical level and an aesthetic level. 

But she won’t be rushing into it.

“Decisions need to be made in a really considered way,” Ms Clemens said. 

The main issue seems to be where to put tiny houses, Liz Martin of the Bendigo Sustainability Group observed.

While tiny houses seemed “perfectly feasible” off the grid, Ms Martin said people might encounter difficulties attaining the necessary permissions from regulatory authorities such as councils. 

Tiny Houses Australia founder Darren Hughes spent much of Sunday’s session at the Bendigo District RSL discussing the finer details associated with building a tiny house, from regulations to considerations when picking a trailer.

The administrator of the Tiny Houses Bendigo Facebook page, Ben Shue, was pleasantly surprised by the interest shown in the housing movement. 

More than 40 people attended the Bendigo meetup.

“Affordable housing is a passion of mine as well as accessible transport and affordable food,” Mr Shue said. 

He believes the movement will encourage people to be more resourceful, more community-minded and environmentally friendly. 

“All the resources needed to meet the needs of a community can be found in that community,” he said. 

The event was the first of Tiny Houses Australia’s monthly meetups to be scheduled in regional Victoria.

Usually, the meetups are in and around Melbourne. 

A second regional meetup is planned for Geelong.

Ms Martin encouraged people interested in sustainable houses to attend Bendigo Sustainable House Day on October 30.