Why do the permaculture course with us?
Why do your PDC course at Noosa Forest Reteat? This permaculture course is perfect if you'd like to:
- Live on a real permaculture community for 12 days.
- Walk out to actual food forests & earthworks between sessions.
- Learn from specialist presenters in syntropic farming, fungi, urban permaculture, cell grazing and more.
- Learn from permaculture pioneers with 30+ years experience.
- Noosa Forest Retreat is the official ambassador for UNESCO awarded Noosa Biosphere.
- Create your first permaculture design, for a real-life property.
- Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate.
What's the PDC course like?
Watch the video to get an instant feeling for the PDC course vibe:
Impressions from the PDC course - Permaculture Design Certificate Course — Noosa Forest Retreat, Sunshine Coast QLD, Australia.
Proud to partner with
Learn from a team of PDC course teachers and specialist presenters
You'll benefit from the collective experience of a community of educators, with individual attention after class and after the course.
Ian Trew
PDC Teacher
BSc Psychology & Health Science, Dipl Ayurveda, PDC Principal Teacher & Noosa Forest Retreat Co-Founder. 25 yrs practicing permaculture with projects from urban to resort and rural. Community advocate activist.
Sarina Richardson
Specialist Presenter
Regional & Urban Planning (BRUP Hons) & certified Permaculture Designer. Experience in urban permaculture projects, syntropic & permaculture garden development, plus native & rainforest regeneration. Most passionate about eco-system health and redressing desertification.
Jane Little
Specialist Presenter
Bachelor of Design (Visual Communications) UTS Sydney 1994 and certified Permaculture Designer. 20 years living offgrid in a rainforest community and been involved in permaculture projects all over South East Queensland. Jane is a creative facilitator getting students inspired about the nitty gritty.
12 days on a real eco-community living permaculture.
Opening circle, kitchen gardens, earth building, water harvesting, graduation day. This is what the course actually looks like.
Permaculture Course Queensland Student Group
Natural Earth Building
Permaculture Course Queensland Opening Ceremony
Forest Check Dam
Herb Spiral
Community Kitchen Garden
A grass-roots community, not just a demonstration garden
Ambassador of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
The community home of Noosa Forest Retreat has been awarded Ambassador of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation — entrusted by UNESCO and Noosa Council to protect Noosa's global status as a Biosphere Reserve. You'll be studying inside one of Australia's largest permaculture projects, in a United Nations awarded biosphere.
Ian Trew, his daughter Bliss, and permaculture co-founder Bill Mollison — early 1990s.
About Ian Trew
Founder Noosa Forest Retreat & PDC course teacherIan is keynote speaker and PDC course teacher at the Permaculture Design Certificate course at Noosa Forest Retreat. He also manages a health retreat and counselling services on the Sunshine Coast as well as being involved in Bellbunya eco-community.
Ian has been practising permaculture and integrated, holistic health for over 30 years — including attending one of the first Australian permaculture teacher gatherings in New South Wales with co-founder David Holmgren, and learning directly alongside co-founder Bill Mollison.
A Permaculture course you can experience.
This PDC course follows the original 72-hour PDC curriculum as set by Bill Mollison - but also covering David Holmgren's views and newer aspects as well new insights into urban permaculture, syntropic farming and deep ecology.
Here's how your 12 days unfold.
Ethics & principles
Earth care, people care and fair share, plus design principles, climate, pattern literacy, and observing the land first.
Soil, water & earthworks
How to evaluate soil, build fertility, harvest and store water in the landscape, and regenerate degraded ground.
Food systems & nutrient-rich growing
Food forests, kitchen gardens, animal systems, syntropic farming and regenerative agriculture — plus bio-hacks for health and vitality.
Your design project & graduation
Zone and sector design applied to a real site, ending in the final design exercise you present before graduating.
Specialist presenter topics
Plus hands-on extra-curricular permaculture action, bio-hacks and practicals throughout the twelve days.
You'll be able to
- Design and implement sustainable systems.
- Evaluate soil and grow nutrient-rich food.
- Offer permaculture, farm and garden services and consultations.
Who is this permaculture course for?
The permaculture design course scales from urban backyard to rural farms, from town planning to someone's balcony maybe. Here are some examples:
Homeowners
Turn a patch of lawn into something that feeds you. Design once, harvest for decades.
Urban permaculture
Balconies, courtyards, verges and rooftops. Small space is a design constraint, not a dealbreaker.
Suburban backyards
Zone and sector planning for a quarter-acre block — chickens, food forest and greywater included.
Rural & off-grid setups
Water harvesting, earthworks and energy systems for acreage that has to look after itself.
Farmers & graziers
Cell grazing, syntropic systems and holistic management applied at paddock and property scale.
Market gardeners
Integrate permaculture principles and grow organic produce on your farm whilst taking care of the soil.
This PDC Course is also a great fit for:
Horticulturists & agronomists
Add whole-systems thinking to the science you already have. Soil biology, water, succession.
Architects & designers
Site your buildings by sun, wind and water before you draw a wall. Clients notice the difference.
Planners & developers
Governance, community title and subdivision design that works with the landscape instead of flattening it.
Community builders
The people part is the hard part. Decision-making, shared land and keeping a group together.
Career changers
Leave with a portfolio design and the credential to charge for consultation and implementation.
Educators & students
Teachers, landcare volunteers and anyone who wants the theory properly, not in fragments online.
"Just interested" in sustainable living?
That's what it's all about! The PDC course is not just a course that specialises on growing food or having a property.
It's about people, about our lives, and how we can live more sustainably. As individuals and as communities.
Learn how to design your life more sustainable and move towards your dream setup - realistically.
No prior experience required. Past cohorts have mixed complete beginners with architects, town planners, financiers and agriculturalists — and the mix is half the value. You'll design for a real site alongside people who see it completely differently to you.
Pick your course option
Every course option includes the same 72-hour curriculum, course handbook and full community house access. The only difference is where you sleep.
BYO Camping
7 spots available
$1,945 / personEarly birds, students & couples · regular $2,145
- 12-day PDC course
- Free camping bordering national park
- Full use of community house
- Tent provided if needed
- Full catering available (+$250)
Twin Share Room
2 spots available
$2,395 / personCouples rate · regular $2,595
- 12-day PDC course
- Twin share room
- Full use of community house
- Full catering available (+$250)
Private Room
2 spots available
$2,795 / personCouples rate · regular $2,995
- 12-day PDC course
- Your own private room
- Full use of community house
- Full catering available (+$250)
Up to $400 discount
$200 off for early birds, students and couples — for booking the permaculture course early, currently studying, or bringing your partner. Early bird discount applies to camping options only.
Free 15-minute orientation call
Not sure yet? Talk it through with Ian Trew on Zoom before you book.
Check Available TimesPrefer to book by phone? Call 0402 130 552
100% Money Back Guarantee
If you're not satisfied after day one, you'll get a full refund, no questions asked.
What students say about the PDC course
Course experiences at Permaculture Course Queensland:
Incredible, vibrant, authentic, open armed, friendly and respectful eco community in paradise. Ian is bursting with knowledge and passion — gaining a PDC internationally doesn't get much better than learning here.
Jimmyz 4GenPermaculture Course Student
I was studying architecture at Queensland University when I took the PDC here. Using the knowledge and confidence I gained, I secured a job with a great architecture organisation — and returned to present my work on permaculture and architecture.
Sam ChamptaloupPermaculture Course Student
The course encourages empathetic design, ensuring sustainable stewardship of natural and built environments. Theory is demonstrated onsite with the living community and gardens. It benefits home gardeners, town planners, developers and agriculturalists alike.
Lee-Anne RowenPermaculture Course Student
What I gained in insight on how many options we have to change this world for the better was huge — but the motivation, compassion and enthusiasm for doing so was over the top. Come with an open mind and get it blown.
Dan SurfriderPermaculture Course Student
Permaculture Design Certificate Course FAQ
The internationally recognised Permaculture Design Certificate confirms you've completed the 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course: 12 units of curriculum, 36 classes, plus practicals and a final design exercise.
The curriculum was set by permaculture co-founders Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.
There's sort of 2 schools by now, David Holmgren was the originacl creator and has also kept working on Permaculture after Bill Mollison's death. There's many new interesting concepts and visions out there. We give you a clear overview of both.
The Permaculture Course Queensland is held at Noosa Forest Retreat, a 160-acre permaculture community in Kin Kin, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland, Australia.
No. Past permaculture course students have included people just being interested in sustainable living, transforming their backyard or place into a more sustainable setup, as well as people who want to redesign their suburban or rural property, market gardeners, farmers, architects, horticulturists, town planners, developers, financiers and agriculturalists.
The residential permaculture course format is designed to guide you gently through the whole journey with the support and encouragement you need.
Free camping is included in the course fee — bring your own tent, or one can be provided if needed. Just let us know then (Deb will be in touch with you anyway once you have booked in, just let us know then, no worries).
Limited private and twin share rooms are also available at a higher rate. Every option includes the same course of course.
Full catering is available as an optional extra for $250, covering all organic vegetarian meals prepared by our community chef with farm-fresh local ingredients.
You also have full use of the community kitchen if you'd prefer to self-cater. Usually we all eat together at the permaculture course and pretty much everyone books including catering.
If you live nearby and commute or if you are extremely on a budget: No worries. Then just book the PDC course without any catering.
Well, there is not really direct jobs to find as permaculture designer. But there's many ways to earn income using permaculture or combining it.
You can start a business or combine it with your current skills or profession, eg landscape gardening, architect, town planning, or use it for your farm or market gardens or similar.
You'll gain the knowledge, confidence and skills to offer permaculture, farm and garden services and consultations, and to run design, implementation and maintenance as a business. You'll also gain design skills and professional network contacts that can save thousands on your own property designs.
Tell us after day one and you'll receive a full refund, no questions asked.
Sure, you can par your van at our property and sleep there. You can also commute if you live around. Simply book the BYO tent option for that.
Sorry we're a small project and cannot provide a visa for your stay. You will need to sort out your visa by yourself and once inside Australia or knowing for sure that you're coming, you can book the permaculture course.
We've had a lot of ..well.. funny and weird and sometimes bad experiences. So, also out of respect for the other students - it is best to not bring your pet to the PDC course. Same goes for kids if you know your baby will be crying a lot or disrupting the classes a lot. We try to provide a great permaculture course and learning experience for everyone. Thanks for your understanding on this one.
Free 15-minute orientation call
Not sure yet? Any questions around the permaculture course?
Talk it through with Ian Trew before you book.