Brendan Condon, a built environment designer from Cape Paterson, has received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his work in conservation and the environment. He co founded Australian Ecosystems and Foodcube Urban Farms, and is best known for developing The Cape, Australia's first zero carbon housing project. The development includes 232 home sites with over half the land dedicated to open space, native vegetation, and water recycling, and will have planted nearly 500,000 native plants by completion. The Cape features all electric, climate resilient homes alongside restored wetlands and wildlife corridors. Design choices like traffic calming, no front fences, and a cat ban help protect local wildlife including kangaroos and over 140 bird species. The project's environmental and energy saving methods have influenced housing developments across eastern Australia. Condon's other work includes food security programs in Tuvalu and Kiribati, and the Melbourne Skyfarm.
