Complimentary
Watersaver Materials
Encourage your staff and visitors to be water conscious at your place of business.
To place your order for your FREE supply of stickers and tent cards simply email watersaver@ goldcoastwater.com.au.
December 2008
High Level Water Restrictions now apply on the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast joined the rest of South East Queensland on regional water restrictions, Target 170 - High Level Water Restrictions on Monday 27 October 2008.
The city will remain on this restriction level until otherwise advised by the Queensland Water Commission. The Commission's role is to manage the water supply and implementation of water restrictions across South East Queensland. Residents will be asked to Target 170 litres a day and only use only what is needed.
Business and industry must continue to use water efficiently by operating in accordance with Water Efficiency Management Plans, retrofitting with water efficient devices and following best practice guidelines where applicable.
For more information:
- Visit the Queensland Water Commission website or call 1300 789 906
- Queensland Water Commission (QWC) business restriction information
- Target 170 high level water restrictions
- The Drought Exit Strategy and the new restriction regime
- Water at Work website
- Water Efficiency Management Plans (WEMPs) Guidelines
- Gold Coast Water water restrictions webpage
- Target 170 fact sheet - Business restrictions overview (PDF 170kb)
- Target 170 fact sheet - Mobile commercial operators (PDF 176kb)
2008 EPA Sustainable Industries Award
The Winners are…
The winners of the 2008 Environmental Protection Agency Sustainable Industries Awards were presented on 31 October 2008 at a gala dinner on the Gold Coast.
Held since 2006, the EPA Sustainable Industries Awards recognise Queensland business leaders, companies and technologies that are setting best-practice benchmarks in environmental performance.
Gold Coast Water congratulates the following businesses in the seven Award categories:
- Corporate Sustainability Award
WINNER: ALDI Australia – Loganholme
- Industrial Eco-efficiency Award
WINNER: Buderim Ginger Limited – Yandina
- Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award
WINNER: RedFlow Pty Ltd – Seventeen Mile Rocks
- Minister's Award for ClimateSmart Leadership
WINNER: News Limited – Murarrie, Brisbane and Cairns
- Rural Sustainability Award
WINNER: Groves Grown Tropical Fruit - Yeppoon
- Sustainability Partnerships Award
WINNER: Wide Bay Water and Dhugamin CDEP Pty Ltd – Hervey Bay
- Sustainability in the Built Environment Award
WINNER: Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd and Leighton Properties Pty Ltd
Brisbane
- Resource Industries Sustainability Award
WINNER: Consolidated Rutile Limited – Dunwich
- Premier’s Award for Leadership in Business Sustainability
WINNER: Mr Martin Albrecht AC – CEO of Thiess
The Premier’s Award for Leadership in Business Sustainability recognises outstanding environmental contribution. This is Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and advancement of business sustainability in Queensland.
Entries were sought from Queensland businesses, individuals, not-for-profit and community organisations, and local and state governments.
We encourage Gold Coast businesses to consider nominating for the 2009 awards.
Nominations for 2009 close 27 February 2009.
For information on submissions and the gala event please visit: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/siawards or contact EPA Marketing on (07) 3225 1524 or email: siawards@epa.qld.gov.au
NEW Sub-Metering Policy
The Queensland Plumbing and Wastewater Code (QPW code) has mandated that all new multi unit developments, and some non-residential premises, which have not lodged a plumbing and drainage approval prior to 1 January 2008 must install sub-metering to individual units.
In response, Gold Coast City Council has adopted a new Sub-Metering Policy to complement the State’s legislative requirements. The Policy provides a framework for Council employees and customers in relation to the sub-metering of individual units/lots for complexes approved after 1 January 2008. In addition to the Policy document, guidelines and specifications for the installation of sub-meters are provided as appendices.
The provision of sub-meters in new buildings allows individualised billing and water consumption data to be recorded for each household or business in multi-unit developments. This promotes parity and equity in the water charges for occupants and encourages the preservation of our water supplies, by increasing individual accountability for water consumption.
The 2001 Sub-Metering and Billing Policy still applies to all existing buildings that submitted a plumbing and building application prior to 1 January 2008. If an existing building is renovated the Body Corporate can elect to install sub-meters, however it is not mandatory to retrofit existing buildings with sub-metering systems.
For further details on Council’s sub-metering policy and related information, please visit www.goldcoastwater.com.au/sub-metering
Every Bucket of Water Counts - let’s save a million of them!
Australians are being challenged to save at least one million buckets of water through the new ‘Every Bucket Counts’ campaign launched by Smart Approved WaterMark, Australia’s water conservation labelling scheme.
The ‘Every Bucket Counts’ campaign features three online calculators that show how much water each of us can save with some simple measures. The campaign and calculators, which can be found at www.smartwatermark.org, were officially launched as part of National Water Week.
“ ‘Every Bucket Counts’ makes it easy for people to see how much water they could save by choosing a waterless car wash product, installing a rainwater tank or by using a cover if they have a pool,” says Julian Gray, CEO of Smart WaterMark.
The campaign is designed to bring people to the web site, alert them to possible water savings through the calculators and encourage them to make pledges to save water. For every online pledge received from Australians committing to saving water when cleaning their car, by using a pool cover or by installing a rainwater tank, Smart Approved WaterMark will donate $2 to WaterAid Australia.
Visits to the website also encourage people to learn more about the Smart WaterMark and the range of products and services which carry the label.
The three ‘Every Bucket Counts’ calculators are:
Car washing
Information relating to the size of your car (small, medium or large), how often and how it is washed is keyed in for this calculator, which then works out how much water you can save by using a low flow cleaner, or a waterless car wash.
Rainwater tanks
This ‘Every Bucket Counts’ calculator takes into account postcodes and average rainfalls, as well as roof and tank sizes to calculate the amount of water collected for each individual enquiry. This water collected by the rainwater tank can then be used in garden, laundry or toilets, saving mains water for drinking.
Swimming pool covers
The size of the pool and other simple facts such as the number of times it is used and topped up are keyed in to calculate the number of litres of water saved from evaporation if a pool cover is used.
“The ‘Every Bucket Counts’ campaign gives us an opportunity to measure consumer responses to our web site, while the national promotion for the campaign is another way to help raise the profile of the Smart WaterMark – and all the products and services approved by the scheme – in our community,” says Julian Gray.
More than 150 products and services now have approval to use the distinctive Smart WaterMark label, which helps consumers to make water-wise choices. Approved products and services include garden mulch and soil wetting agents, rainwater harvesting and greywater systems, pool covers, waterless car washes, low-flow cleaners, and many more.
Visit www.goldcoastwater.com.au to use the new online calculators.
Greenplumber Workshops
An integral part of the Watersaver Education program is Gold Coast Water’s initiative to link with industry bodies and provide training in water conservation to people who have a significant influence over water use.
The Greenplumber Training Program is jointly run on the Gold Coast by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia and Gold Coast Water, with support from other industry representatives.
The program is part of an innovative nationally accredited approach to training plumbers in the water conservation, environmental, and public health aspects of their work. The training opportunities provided by the program place plumbers in a better position to advise and inform consumers on environmental and water conservation topics.
The 2009 Greenplumbers Workshop schedule for the Gold Coast is currently being developed, please click here for the latest information.
Who should attend: Anyone in the plumbing or building industry.
Cost: Free to all participants.
Registration: Bookings are essential - to register online visit www.greenplumbers.com.au - Training Registration or telephone: (07) 3252 1266.
Historic changes to Water Management
The Queensland Government is implementing the most significant changes to water management in the State’s history – the South East Queensland (SEQ) Water Reform. On the Gold Coast, water and wastewater services were owned and operated by Gold Coast City Council through Gold Coast Water.
Under the reform, the water and wastewater assets and services are being split into a number of separate water entities – some will be owned by the State Government, others Local Government.
Bulk Water Dams & Treatment Plants
State Government owned Seqwater now owns, operates and maintains SEQ dams (including the Hinze Dam), bulk supply reservoirs and water treatment plants. For information visit: www.seqwater.com.au
Manufactured Water
This new State Government owned entity will own, operate and maintain the Gold Coast Desalination Plant and Western Corridor Water Recycling Scheme from the time the projects are completed. The State Government has already purchased Council’s share in the Desalination project.
For information on the desalination project visit www.desalinfo.com.au or for information on the Western Corridor Scheme visit: www.westerncorridor.com.au
Bulk Transport - LinkWater
State Government owned LinkWater, now owns, operates and maintains the bulk water transport infrastructure (the Water Grid). For information visit: www.linkwater.com.au
Water Grid Manager
The State Government owned Water Grid Manager is now operational and responsible for managing contracts and flow of water around the SEQ water grid. For information visit: www.seqwgm.qld.gov.au
Distribution
One SEQ Distribution business will be set up to own, operate and maintain water, wastewater and recycled water distribution networks and wastewater treatment plants. With around $10 billion in assets and more than 2,500 employees, it will be one of Australia’s largest companies. The 10 SEQ Councils will be shareholders in the new company. It will be established and operational by July 2010.
Retail Businesses
Three Local Government owned retailers will provide billing and customer information services. SEQ Councils will be shareholders in the three businesses. They will be established and operational by July 2010.
Further information
For information on the SEQ Water Reform visit the Queensland Water Commission website at: www.qwc.qld.gov.au or the SEQ Council of Mayor’s website.Complimentary Watersaver materials
Encourage your staff and visitors to be water conscious at your place of business. Gold Coast Water has complimentary bathroom stickers and tent cards that have been tested in a number of marinas, shopping centres and hotels on the Gold Coast, proving to be beneficial in reminding staff & visitors to be water efficient in the bathroom.
These stickers and tent cards also subconsciously reinforce water conservation messages, leading to water efficient behaviour in other areas.
For maximum exposure we recommend you position a sticker above the basin area and on the cistern of each toilet. Please be advised these are non-marking stickers and are therefore suitable to be placed on mirrors.
To place your order simply email watersaver@goldcoastwater.com.au - and leave your business name, postal address and the number of stickers you require.
Subscribe / Unsubscribe
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If a business associate would like to subscribe to this eNewsletter, they should email their request to watersaver@goldcoastwater.com.au.
To subscribe to other Gold Coast Water eNewsletters visit our eNewsletter subscriptions webpage.
Contact us
We value your feedback for comment and enquiries.
Email: watersaver@goldcoastwater.com.au
Website: www.goldcoastwater.com.au/watersaver
Phone: Gold Coast Water Customer Contact Centre 1300 366 692
Post: Gold Coast City Council, PO Box 5042, Gold Coast MC Queensland 9729
