carbonneutraltourism.co.uk

Premier The Honourable Anna Bligh
Monday, May 26, 2008

Bligh congratulates world leading ecotourism tourism operator

Townsville: Hidden Valley Cabins, Australia’s first 100% carbon neutral and solar powered resort, is a shining example of the Queensland tourism industry’s environmental commitment Premier Anna Bligh said today.

The Premier, in Townsville for Community Cabinet, presented Ian and Bonnie McLennan, owners of the resort 1.5 hours north-west of Townsville, with a Tourism Queensland certificate of recognition for outstanding leadership in environmental sustainability.

“Much of Queensland’s tourism industry centres on our wonderful natural assets and it is essential that we continue protect those areas that make a visit to our state so special,” Ms Bligh said.

“Climate change has been identified as the number one long-term issue affecting Queensland’s $8.4 billion tourism industry and it is fantastic to see a family-owned property like Hidden Valley Cabins taking the lead and really walking the talk,” she said.

Ms Bligh said after reducing its carbon-based emissions, the fully solar-powered property had purchased carbon credits to offset the rest of its operational activities.

It had also gained Advanced Ecotourism accreditation under Ecotourism Australia’s rigorous ECO Certification program.

Ecotourism Australia works closely with Tourism Queensland in encouraging the state’s nature-based tourism operators to become ECO Certified.

“Queensland has more than 250 ECO Certified tourism products, the largest of any state.”

“This is proof of the commitment our tourism industry has in ensuring it grows in a sustainable way while protecting our natural assets.”

Ms Bligh said tourists, particularly those from international markets such as Europe and the UK, were increasingly asking for tourism products’ “green credentials” before booking a holiday.

“It’s important for Queensland’s tourism operators to look to the future and take Hidden Valley Cabins’ lead by implementing environmentally sustainable practices wherever possible.”

“Improving environmental sustainability is a win-win situation for operators – not only will they help preserve our environment, but they will be able to capitalise on a growing trend for ecotourism products.”

Ms Bligh said Hidden Valley Cabins was proof of what initiative, ingenuity and a commitment to positive change could achieve.

Media contact: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=58228

The decision by Hidden Valley Cabins to go green has paid dividends with the operator reporting record occupancy levels and a massive reduction in energy expenses. Now the team behind the move wants to help other operators make the switch to sustainable power.

The $75,000 investment into solar panels is set to pay for itself in two years. Diesel prices are skyrocketing and the McLennan family has not turned on their generator since making the switch to green power six months ago.

The maintenance free solar panels aren’t just a head turner - with diesel costing $1.80 per litre delivered to the property outside Paluma, and the operation of the generator using upwards of 26,000 litres a year – they’re saving the family business $46,800 a year on fuel costs alone.

Operations Manager Ross McLennan said other remote operators face annual bills of between $100,000 and $150,000 for their diesel generators – and the cost is increasing annually.

“We made the switch to solar power in December – since then we’ve had huge publicity and our numbers have swelled dramatically. We’re really surprised that we haven’t had to turn on the generator as a back up power supply. Not only have we increased our bookings – but we’ve significantly decreased our operational costs.”

“We’re looking to run some workshops at our property to encourage other operators to make the switch to solar. It’s a real sustainable solution – it stacks up economically and environmentally,” Mr McLennan said.

Townsville Enterprise Destination Marketing and Development Manager Brent Randall applauded the initiative and encouraged other operators to consider their impact on the environment and the savings to be made.

“Hidden Valley Cabins have been recognised as pioneers, leading the country in green initiatives. Their willingness to share their new knowledge with others shows this is more than a marketing ploy – it’s about making a difference.”

“With rising fuel costs costing regional operators both in bookings and in operational costs any steps to cut back on spending and encourage environmentally conscious visitors are steps we should be making cooperatively as a region.”

“In this age of environmental awareness and threats such as global warming – visitors are looking for tourism operators who are committed to sustainable tourism development and an environmentally friendly approach.”

Cascade Green is an Australian beer with high ‘eco-credentials’, which include using bio-degradable vegetable inks on the packaging and the cartons are made out of materials which are 100% recyclable. Over the past six years the brewery have also reduced their energy usage by 16% and water usage by 30% per unit of production. They have also won a number of environmental awards.

The Solar Eco Cabins and Interpretive Centre at Hidden Valley Cabins are an inspiration for the tourist industry and the community to follow, Stephen Pahl CEO of Ecotourism Australia said today.

“Hidden Valley Cabins is Australia’s first fully carbon neutral resort and tour business, and they have recently achieved Advanced Ecotourism Certification,” said Stephen.

“The official opening of the Solar Eco Cabins on 4 April is the culmination of the McLennan family’s commitment to environmental improvement over more than 20 years and they have achieved a model that should inspire the rest of the tourist industry and anyone interested in ways to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Visitors to Hidden Valley Cabins now not only enjoy a relaxing stay and awe-inspiring tours in the spectacular and pristine natural environment north of Townsville but can also visit the new Interpretative Centre that explains more about the solar technology used to power the resort.

Hidden Valley Cabins operations manager Ross McLennan said their carbon neutral milestone is another important step in the journey they began 22 years ago.

“Hidden Valley is not on grid power and, over the years, we have developed ways to decrease our reliance on generator power while making sure our guests enjoy all the comfort and facilities they need,” Ross said.

“Now, we are generating all of our own renewable energy and have saved 78 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

“For the carbon emissions we cannot yet eradicate – such as those of deliveries to the resort and tour buses – we are buying carbon offsets,” Ross said.

On Friday 4 April, over 80 guests, including Brian Cuthine CEO Townsville City Council, Ben Callcot Mayor of Charter Towers and Shane Knuth MP Member for Charters Towers, visited the resort northwest of Townsville near Running River on the western slope of the Coastal Range in North Queensland. They celebrated the official opening and toured the Interpretative Centre.

Ecotourism Australia’s Stephen Pahl said other businesses, both within the tourist industry and beyond, must take up the challenge to reduce their emissions.

“I urge anyone responsible for a business to combine an unforgettable few days at this magnificent Queensland destination with a fact-finding mission to see how renewable energy can power all the essentials for comfort,” Stephen said.

“Ecotourism Australia’s world-leading ecotourism accreditation system has been challenging our industry to achieve measurable environmental results since it began 11 years ago and the ecotourism industry now has an important role in showcasing its solutions to the broader community.

“We congratulate Hidden Valley Cabins on their achievement and on opening a window for others to see how it’s done,” Stephen said.

Ecotourism Australia is the peak national body for the ecotourism industry in Australia. It aims to grow and promote ecotourism and to assist tourism operators to become environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially and culturally responsible.

It is a non-profit organisation with membership that includes tour operators, ecotourism accommodation, tourism planners, protected area managers, academics and students, regional tourism associations and travellers.

Ecotourism Australia’s certification program is a world first. It provides objective monitoring and auditing of organisations’ ecotourism claims and provides travel agents and tourists with an assurance of best practice ecological sustainability, natural area management and quality ecotourism experiences.

Baillie Lodges is an Australian company which offers guests luxury breaks at their two lodges. Capella Lodge is located on Lord Howe Island and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangeroo Island.

In terms of the environment:

• Baillie Lodges has created the Southern Ocean Lodge Environment Fund in partnership with the South Australian Government. The fund is expected that the fund will raise between $20,000 and $50,000 annually, with voluntary guest contributions making up part of the funds.

• During the construction of Southern Ocean only 1 hectare of land was cleared which represents approximately 1% of the total 102 hectares purchased. The remaining 99% has been placed under a Heritage Agreement to protect against future development.

• Capella Lodge employs a solar power hot water system.

• Southern Ocean Lodge has employed the latest heat pump technology for an energy efficient hot water system, which is equivalent to a solar powered water supply.

• Water is harvested from all roof surfaces at Southern Ocean Lodge and stored in tanks with a total capacity in excess of 1.5 million litres.  A key aim of management is to have the property rainwater self-sufficient every four out of five years.

• Capella Lodge captures up to 50% of all its water needs in rainwater tanks, with a total storage of 180,000 litres supplied by more regular rainfall patterns.

Queensland resort Australia’s first 100 percent solar powered and carbon neutral tourism operator. An eco-friendly resort near Townsville has become the country’s first 100 percent solar powered and carbon neutral tourism operator, in a move announced by Tourism Minister Desley Boyle today.

Ms Boyle congratulated Hidden Valley Cabins and Tours on the Paluma range - one and a half hours northwest of Townsville - for leading the nation in a crucial environmental initiative.

“I am delighted to announce that it is a Queensland tourism operation which has lead the way on this important issue,” Ms Boyle said.

“In Queensland we recognise that there must be an important balance between tourism interests and environmental issues and Hidden Valley Cabins is a prime example of a tourism operator striving to strike that balance.

“I congratulate operators Ian and Bonnie McLennan for their efforts in ensuring that not only the present beauty of their resort is protected, but the future is in good hands as well.

“I expect their environmental initiatives will serve not only as an example for other Queensland operators, but for tourism operators around Australia, and indeed, the world.”

Touted as Australia’s first solar powered resort, Hidden Valley Cabins and Tours has upped the ante to become the country’s first carbon neutral tourism operator purchasing carbon credits and using alternative natural power sources to offset any green house gases which are released.

Hidden Valley Cabins and Tours has completed in-house audits following the guidelines set down by Climate Friendly and has just received its carbon neutral certificate.

The resort, which is Australia’s first stand-alone operating with no support from a power grid, has introduced a range of carbon-friendly initiatives including replacing conventional light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs and minimising waste by compacting food and paper products for use in the garden.

Other green initiatives include educating guests and the public on the importance of protecting wildlife; building low impact walking tracks; recycling all aluminium cans, papers and cardboards; planting native trees and vegetation; and building with local timber.

The original Hidden Valley Cabins were established in 1982 to cater for timber cutters, tin miners and graziers in the area.

Ian and Bonnie McLennan bought the resort 21 years ago, demolishing the existing buildings and rebuilding the entire resort.

The frame work and roof trusses are made from selectively logged local hard wood, and the outside cladding on the buildings are railway sleeper off cuts which were commissioned to be burnt if not purchased by the McLennans.

The McLennans also undertook substantial revegetation to replace any native trees or plants lost in construction.

The resort is a multi-award winner, taking out top prize for both best Hosted Accommodation and New Tourism Development in the 2007 North Queensland Tourism Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2007 Queensland Tourism Awards for best Hosted Accommodation.

Situated near Running River on the western slope of the Paluma range, it is home to varying species of birds, butterflies, wallabies, lace monitors, platypus and nocturnal animals.

Earlier this year, Hidden Valley Cabins was a participant in the State Government, Queensland Tourism Industry Council and Tourism Queensland Pipeline Project aimed at providing business development assistance and mentoring.

The State Government partnered with Channel Nine’s Your Business Success show to produce a Queensland tourism edition featuring Hidden Valley Cabins and another Townsville region operator – Herveys Range Heritage Team Rooms – which was aired in October.
To find out more about Hidden Valley Cabin’s environmental policies click here.

The Kangeroo Valley in New South Wales is aiming to become the first carbon neutral tourist destination in Australia. The Kangaroo Valley Tourism Association has also produced a carbon neutral resource kit.  Watch a short clip on YouTube.

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority who are responsible for the waterfront in Sydney Harbour have launched a number of green initiatives including:

• The installation of a water harvesting and recycling system at the Sydney Entertainment Centre car park, which has the capacity to save and recycle more than 4.5 million litres of rainwater each year
• Purchasing 100 per cent green power for its offices at The Rocks and Darling Harbour, saving 2,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year – equivalent to taking 510 cars off the road

“Perisher Blue Pty Limited (’PB’), the operator of the Perisher Blue Ski Resort, the Perisher Valley Hotel, the Skitube and The Station Resort is committed to achieving compatibility between the protection and maintenance of the natural and cultural environment, exercising social responsibility and providing high quality alpine recreation and tourism experiences.”

The Perisher Blue is working on a number of environmental initiatives including:

“Renewable energy and the Village 8 Express. Perisher Blue has converted the power source for Village Eight Express Chairlift, night skiing lights and six snowmaking fan guns on Front Valley to 100% renewable energy for 2007. Perisher Blue worked with Origin Energy to effect the change over and the switch to renewable energy is an important part of Perisher Blue’s commitment to minimising resource use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving its environmental management performance. The change to renewable energy is also in line with the ‘Keep Winter Cool’ initiative, launched by the Alpine Resorts Co-ordinating Council (ARCC), the Australian Alps Liaison Committee (AALC) and the Australian Ski Areas Association (ASAA) to improve the public’s awareness and understanding of the issues regarding global warming and to identify opportunities to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

To find out more visit Perisher Blue’s website.

“Kosciuszko Thredbo Pty Ltd (KT) is committed to energy and water conservation and waste minimization and is continuously implementing environmental initiatives into the resort operations to assist the long-term sustainability of the unique alpine environment. Kosciuszko Thredbo is in the process of developing an Environmental Management System (to the “Green Globe” Company Standard, an internationally recognised environmental benchmarking system for the tourism sector) for all of the resort operations. KT is consulting with Thredbo Chamber of Commerce regarding the progress, and will provide assistance wherever possible to Thredbo businesses should they wish to implement similar initiatives to conserve energy and promote a more environmentally sustainable future.”

Thredbo Pty Limited already have in place waste management, water conservation, bio diversity, air quality, energy and education initiatives to reduce the impact on the environment.

Find out more about Thredbo by clicking here.

Photos of Thredbo are below.