The Sustainable Homes program is providing communities throughout Queensland with display homes which incorporate principles of sustainable design and performance. The homes are unique because they provide practical examples within their regional climatic context of dwellings that aim to meet the triple bottom line concept of sustainability i.e. environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Governments and industry are partnering to design, build and promote the features and benefits of sustainable housing across the state. In a national first, the Sustainable Homes program is a Queensland legacy of the Year of the Built Environment (YBE 2004) - a year that highlighted the need for our built environments to become more sustainable through improved design and function.

As part of the statewide program, local project teams are designing, building and promoting their display homes using the Department of Housing's Smart Housing Design Objectives as minimum design criteria. By applying these objectives, project teams are better able to interpret their application relevant to their context. Visitors are then able to experience a 'sustainable home' and realise that it looks like a normal home – it just performs better.

The program boasts design and building for the 21st Century. These demonstration homes will reinforce how a sustainable house allows occupants to move around the home more easily, feel safer, save money on operation and maintenance costs, whilst reducing their environmental impacts and better plan for our ageing population. It leads us all to think about the footprint we leave on our communities, and how our actions and decisions today will affect our own children and future generations. By applying sustainable design principles, we can all work towards the creation of more sustainable communities.

As of mid-2006, 30 local projects throughout Queensland are actively participating in the Sustainable Homes program. Each demonstration house that is built is identified by the Sustainable Home title that precedes its locality e.g. Sustainable Home Toowoomba, Sustainable Home Brisbane etc.

The display homes will be open to the public for a minimum of six months. After their display period, the homes will be sold.

We trust that you will enjoy visiting one of our Sustainable Home display houses, and find the program a valuable resource for adopting sustainable design features into your home.

NOTE: this information is published on the Sustainable homes website at http://www.sustainable-homes.org.au/01_aboutus/program.htm

The Rotary Club of Mindingburra
SUSTAINABLE HOME.

Location

1 Burford Ct, (cnr Rochford Street and Burford Court, 'Willowbank Estate', Kirwan (Townsville/Thuringowa, North Queensland)

Display period

Opens: The home will be opened to the public on Sunday 9th September (Sustainable House Day) between 10am and 4pm and on Saturdays and Sundays for 6 weekends during September and October (from 15th September to 21st October 2007).

The home will be auctioned at noon on Saturday 27 October 2007. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity.

Project summary

Rotary Sustainable Home Kirwan is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom family home that has been designed using the Smart Housing Design Objectives and incorporates sustainable housing design concepts and technologies suitable for the dry tropics region.

Key attributes of the home include that the home has been designed for comfort, flexibility and liveability and includes features which make it safe, flexible and easy to use by people of all ages and abilities. The home is naturally cool, has significantly less need for air-conditioning, is efficient in its use of energy and water.

Rotary Sustainable Home Kirwan is a community project of the Rotary Club of Mundingburra Inc.  Rotary had two clear intentions when commencing this project: to raise funds for charity and to educate the public about appropriate sustainable housing practices for North Queensland.

Proceeds from the sale of the property will be donated to the SpinalInjuries North Queensland (major beneficiary) and also the Life Education Unit, Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children, Volunteer Coastguard (Townsville Flotilla), Foodbank and the Townsville Community Learning Centre.

Rotary intends this project to be a business model which will be repeated in future years on other sites.