Household sustainability program could be replicated by other councils
Two Queensland councils have successfully completed the pilot of a program to assist households to become more environmentally sustainable, which has the potential to be replicated by other councils in the state.
The trial of the program to help local households make lifestyle changes to become more sustainable in the areas of water, energy, waste and transport use was commenced by the former Noosa and Caboolture shire councils in about mid-2007.
As of July this year, 221 households in the new Sunshine Coast Regional Council and Moreton Bay Regional Council areas were participating in the ‘Living Smart Homes’ program.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council Manager of Environmental Services, Ben McMullen, says the councils remain keen to develop the Living Smart Homes program to the point that it could be easily replicated by other councils.
However, Mr McMullen says the councils’ present focus is to expand the program to more households within the two municipalities.
The councils' Living Smart Homes program is presently working with a local community group to expand the program’s uptake within the municipalities on a street-by-street basis.
The program operates by giving each household that joins a sign to place on the outside of their house to show their participation in the program. Each sign will be updated as each house completes tasks to improve its sustainability in each of the four areas.
Participating households receive information on how to make lifestyle changes in the four key areas of water, energy, waste and transport use through support workshops and on the Living Smart Homes website, here.
As a direct result of participation in the program, the 221 participating households have to date collectively saved almost 8930 kilograms of greenhouse gases annually, reduced their collective water use by 183 kilolitres per year, and diverted 1.65 tonnes of waste from landfill per year.
The Living Smart Homes program was established by the former Noosa and Caboolture shire councils in partnership with the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland University of Technology and South East Queensland Catchments.
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