Low Carbon Living - Support local businesses and communities to keep the Blue Mountains beautiful
Katoomba’s Mountain Heritage Hotel & Spa Retreat, on the cusp of the Jamison Valley, is serious about its environmental impact and is making progressive change. The rewards are encouraging and have ensured successful business outcomes - cost reduction (higher profit), improved business efficiency and market awareness, invariable ethical business practices and client satisfaction. Due recognition has reverberated in the community with a double win at the 2016 Blue Mountains Business Awards and a silver rating from the Low Carbon Living Program. “Running an organisation actively reducing its carbon footprint has been an exceptionally positive experience”, says General Manager Eric Sward.
Eric began the journey of reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint by finding a mentor – an energy management consultant, Eco Profit Management, to help pave the way. Audits were conducted, waste, water and energy usage reviewed and the accumulated carbon footprint calculated. A sustainability policy was drawn up and a Sustainable Supply Chain Management plan (SSCM) was put into effect.
Implementation began immediately - the evaluation of solar power and a hydronic hot water system, the re-negotiation of contracts with energy supplier ERM for favourable competitive rates, investment in Aircon Off Smart Remote controlled energy-efficient air-conditioning and sourcing an ethical, organic linen supplier and local laundry service provider.
The decision to choose an eco-friendly linen supplier was an easy one. Lithgow’s Access Industries, a not-for-profit that supplies and launders the hotel’s linen and provides employment opportunities to people with disabilities, recommended EcoLinen Australia. Founded by textile importer and supplier Tim Ower Mohavi and his wife 15 years ago, EcoLinen is the first certified organic bed linen supplier in Australasia. It offers ethically made 100% cotton and bamboo bed linen certified by the Global Organics Textiles Standards (GOTS) and uses Oeko-Tex® approved European organic dyes. Considering cotton is sprayed with 25% of the world’s pesticides, EcoLinen is hypo-allergenic, carcinogenic- and toxic-free and helps regulate body temperature due to the extra wide, superior yarn for better breathability.
Having worked for almost 30 years in the textile industry Tim could see where improvements could be made. “A broader range of sustainable products, increased fair trade opportunities and a greater use of organic materials. People want to make ethical choices and we wanted to provide an alterative”. EcoLinen also supplies Mountain Heritage with cotton/polyester towels that last 30% longer than regular towels, and take 30% less time to launder.
Recently joined LCL-BM members Palais Royal Palais Royale also use Access Industries Lithgow laundering services, and are keen to introduce additional carbon saving initiatives over time.
Mountain Heritage’s other sustainable initiatives include LED lights throughout, soap recycling, reverse-cycle air-conditioners, timers and sensors for lighting systems, general recycling and food waste collected and composted by Leura’s Whispering Pines owners.
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Katoomba’s family-owned business Blue Mountains Explorer Bus and Fantastic Aussie Tours is Australia’s first carbon neutral transport company, credited by the National Carbon Offset Standard Carbon Neural Program (NCOS). The 43 year-old business is reducing its carbon footprint by offsetting unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions from its mostly diesel-fuelled buses by investing in efforts to remove 100% of the carbon dioxide produced. Linda Brillante, the company’s strategist, explains that the decision was made to gain recognition from the NCOS program because of its extensive guidelines and procedures, its rigid and structured process, its comprehensive audit and exact emissions calculation from across the supply chain, encompassing every aspect of the business. “It is with great pride that we can state that we are the first transport company in Australia to be recognised as carbon neutral”.
And the accolades continue, with the Blue Mountains Low Carbon Living Program awarding BM Explorer Bus with a gold rating, acknowledging the high efficiency of the bus fleet and completing the rigorous NCOS process permitting carbon offsets for energy used by vehicles of transport companies. Program Director, Dr John Merson, revised the LCL rating system and approved a change of policy to allow for the assessment of transport companies who are making every effort to lower carbon emissions. A transport business category is now included that better reflects the emissions profile of transport-orientated businesses.
BM Explorer Bus currently has 4 red Volvo Olympian Alexander Royale double decker buses imported from Scotland, with a fifth recently purchased, 8 coaches, 20 drivers and 10 staff members. The investment in reliable Volvo engines and Scottish engineering has guaranteed high efficiency and low maintenance. Darryl Booth, chief mechanic and a partner of the business, ensures the fleet is maintained to the highest standard ahead of schedule, reducing the replacement of parts and the possibility of breakdowns. Every component is recycled, the oil is carbon neutral and metal is reused. Bus drivers are required to have regular, updated training on how to operate the vehicles efficiently, considering variations in seasonal weather and passenger load.
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In 2007 Katoomba was the first Australian community declared a Cittaslow International town, for its commitment to improving residents quality of life. Goolwa (S.A) and Yea (Vic), have also joined 233 Cittaslow cities globally to slow life down, highlight and protect local unique natural environments, promote local history, culture and creativity, and share locally sourced food,. Local sourcing of food and processing of waste are essential aspects to reducing the carbon load associated with transporting and processing food and waste around the country and globally.
As an evolving part of the Slow Food philosophy, Cittaslow is embracing a slower more meaningful lifestyle that brings people together around common goals to create quality of life for the whole community.
Sue Bell (BMCC Principal Urban Designer), Anne Elliott (Slow Food convenor) and Janet Cahill (Katoomba Chamber of Commerce & Community) collated Katoomba’s membership application. Eco architect Nigel Bell is the Cittaslow convenor. “Katoomba has an established genuine community”, says Nigel, so meeting Cittaslow critera wasn’t difficult. “This community embraces the Cittaslow philosophy. One of the biggest challenges is bringing everyone together to achieve common goals,” says Anne Elliott.
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Trading local energy was the topic of discussion at Katoomba’s March 2017 Big Ideas Futures Forum: a Blue Mountains Living Lab initiative co-hosted by the Blue Mountains Youth Summit. The idea is that if you have solar panels and storage batteries you can trade your solar energy on a virtual a platform that connects you with community members who want to buy it. If you are concerned about rising energy prices, the platform offers the opportunity to purchase locally farmed clean energy at a competitive rate.
Nexergy founded by Darius Salgo and Grant Young, is creating a fairer energy system, where individual investment in renewable energy is rewarded and more sustainable living can be made available to all. Similarly to 'Airbnb', Nexergy’s local energy trading platform is "a win-win: those with solar and batteries get better returns, and buyers reduce their energy costs”.
The concept is not new for other parts of the world, but Nexergy is introducing the benefits to communities around Australia and developing a following that will hopefully create more inspiring success stories. Grant Young points out that Australian rooftop solar energy now exceeds Snowy Hydro Scheme production. Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts that by 2040 a third of Australia’s energy supply will be produced "behind the metre": from privately-owned PV solar systems.
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