Raglan has a rich historical relationship with permaculture. In the late 1990s, Liz Stanway and Rick Thorpe brought permaculture educators Bryan Innes and Jo Pearsall to Whāingaroa to run a PDC for a cohort of local environmental activists who were seeking to implement meaningful change in the community. This PDC became a key catalyst for the establishment of Xtreme Zero Waste, following community efforts to manage waste ourselves after the closure of Raglan’s landfill.

The National Permaculture Hui was hosted by the Raglan permaculture community and held at Poihaakena marae in 2010. From this gathering, the first Raglan run Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) was led by Liz and Rick, Phil McCabe and Bernadette Gavin and other local permaculturists. Hosted at Solscape between 2013 and 2019, the course reflected the culture and climate of Whāingaroa – drawing on local expertise, knowledge and skills, and showcasing a wide range of inspiring local projects and properties.

After a seven-year hiatus, the Raglan permaculture community is reuniting to refresh the Raglan PDC, offering it as a year-long, modular programme.