New Sustainable Street for Brunswick Heads

Brunswick Heads is the latest community in Byron Shire to join Council’s free Sustainable Streets program.

Local residents came together last Saturday to partake in low waste living workshops and learn about their ecological footprint.

Council’s Sustainability officer Graeme Williams said around 20 residents showed up and he was particularly pleased with the cross section of age groups and diversity of life-experience represented in the group.

“We had young families, to singles and older couples.  It was a great mix and fantastic to see people chatting, getting to know each other and share information already.”

The Sustainable Streets program aims to empower residents with sustainable living tips, while providing the tools for residents to reduce their utility bills and build connections in the neighbourhood said Mr Williams.

Over the next 7 months, the new Brunswick Heads group will meet on the second Saturday of each month in the Uniting Church hall from 10am – 12pm   The next meeting will be Saturday 10 September and will focus on energy saving skills, with future workshops on organic gardening, backyard biodiversity and green cleaning also in the pipeline.

Under the Sustainable Streets program, residents are able to earn ‘sustainability stamps’ up to the value of $1,000 to fund a community project at the end of the formal program.

The first Sustainable Street in Byron Shire was established in Mullumbimby in 2009 and also has seen groups from Mullum Creek and South Golden Beach actively take part in the program. Participating residents have saved up to 60% in their water consumption and 23% in their energy consumption under the program.

Sustainable Streets is part of the Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project funded under the NSW Environmental Trust.

For more information or to join the new group, contact Council’s Sustainability Officer Graeme Williams on 6626 7305 or visit: www.byron.nsw.gov.au/sustainable-streets-program.

 Brunswick Heads Sustainable Street members