Scenic Rim operator Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages wins The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge
Posted by editor (editor) on Jul 22 2010
2010 >>

Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages, based in the Scenic Rim region, has won The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge, a Queensland Government-funded initiative encouraging Scenic Rim operators to reduce their long-term carbon footprint.

Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor and Acting Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge was proposed by local Mt Barney Lodge Country Retreat owners Tracey and Innes Larkin, on behalf of local tourism organisation Scenic Rim Escapes Inc, and followed on from Tourism Queensland’s pilot Sustainable Regions Project.

“I’d like to congratulate Barry Marshall and Jennifer Seale, owners of Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages, for their holistic approach to carbon management, commitment to local and low impact consumables, and investing in their business future with new technologies and sustainable practises,” Mr Lawlor said.

“Barry and Jennifer came up against 13 other eligible Scenic Rim operators and won the challenge, reducing their estimated annual carbon footprint by 10,250kg, which is an outstanding result.

“Southern Cross 4WD Tours came in a close second, helped by making the decision to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle which reduced their fuel use by 31 percent and provided more seats, also reducing the need for a second vehicle on future tours.”

Ms Palaszczuk said all the operators who took part in the challenge deserved to be rewarded for their hard work over the past month.

“Minimising the environmental impact of your business is no easy feat and yet they’ve achieved a combined carbon reduction of almost 100,000 tonnes – equivalent to 22 less cars on the road,” she said.

“It’s fantastic to see a local operator taking Tourism Queensland’s Sustainable Regions pilot project a step further and embarking on their own initiative, with the help of State Government funding through the Low Carbon Diet, to encourage other operators in their community to become environmentally sustainable.”

Minister Lawlor said the Sustainable Regions project was the first state-wide project in Australia aimed at reducing the environmental impact of tourism and encouraging visitors to view Queensland as a sustainable tourism destination.

“Similarly, but on a local scale, The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge initiative involved a series of free specialist workshops to educate and challenge operators in the Scenic Rim region to improve their business’ sustainability for better efficiency and real dollar savings,” Minister Lawlor said.

“Following the workshops, participants were given the chance to implement sustainable practices into their business, which were analysed by independent judges from companies such as EC3 and Tourism Queensland.”

Mr Lawlor said some of the outcomes included:
• improved ability to measure carbon consumption;
• carbon offsetting through tree planting;
• investing in growing their own fruit and vegetables;
• reducing car use through carpooling and better trip planning;
• composting and using worm farms to reduce landfill waste;
• becoming more aware of food miles – the energy and transportation involved in acquiring food products; and
• installation of solar energy and heating, rainwater tanks and other appliances to reduce carbon consumption.

“Local operators also devised innovative action plans such as installing heat pumps and solar panels, purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles and using more rigorous maintenance programs,” Mr Lawlor said.

“A bonus is that local operators’ participation in The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge has also promoted the Scenic Rim’s tourism profile and built awareness amongst domestic tourists.”

Mr Lawlor said the reward for the challenge winner included assistance with the fee for becoming Eco-Tourism Accredited, valued at approximately $1,000, and promotion of their business on Ecotourism Australia’s homepage as the ‘Green Holiday Idea of the Month’, valued at $395.

“While the winner of the challenge will receive a worthy prize, all qualifying participants have worked hard to achieve their sustainability goals and will be rewarded with a one year listing on Scenic Rim Escapes’ Sustainability webpage as well as listings on several other websites and directories including the Sustainable Scenic Rim Business and Community Directory, the Scenic Rim Region Council’s tourism website and Brisbane Marketing’s website.

“Participants will receive recognition from Tourism Queensland for completing and implementing their Low Carbon Diet Action Plan, which will be recognised as first stage accreditation in the Sustainable Region’s Jump Up Program.

“They will also have submitted case studies about their business’ sustainability journey uploaded onto the Tourism Queensland website and will gain exposure to Tourism Queensland’s international offices and media contacts.”

Mr Lawlor said Scenic Rim Escapes was planning to have a specific sustainable platform in 2011.

For more information about The Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge visit www.scenicrimescapes.com.au/scenic-rim-low-carbon-diet.html.

For more information about Tourism Queensland’s Sustainable Regions program visit www.tq.com.au/sustainableregions.

Last changed: Jul 22 2010 at 10:58 AM