Sustainable Living in Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour City Council is committed to supporting the community to live lightly and care for our natural environment. The Sustainable Living program delivers a free program of events, workshops, campaigns and nature based tours. The
Coffs Harbour Community Recycling Centre also offers free recycling and disposal of problem household waste. To find out how you can get involved in sustainability initiatives in our community
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What is Sustainability?
Sustainability has a number of definitions and the terms including sustainable development and ecologically sustainable development which are used interchangeably.
Sustainability is essentially about enjoying a high quality of life within our fair share of the earth’s resources, or more simply - enough for everyone, for ever.
Council's Sustainability Policy defines sustainability as being "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
This is the definition that is most widely accepted throughout the world and comes from the
World Commission on Environment and Development.
Australia uses the term 'ecologically sustainable development' (ESD) which is defined in the 1992 National Strategy for ESD as: Development that improves the total quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends.
What are the principles of sustainability?
Council is committed to focusing it's sustainability efforts in the following key areas, based on the ten principles of One Planet Living:
Ensure buildings and activities are energy efficient and deliver all energy with renewable technologies.
Reduce waste by avoidance, reuse and recycling, maximising diversion of waste from landfill.
Reduce the need to travel, and encouraging low and zero carbon modes of transport to reduce emissions.
Use sustainable and healthy products, such as those with low embodied energy, locally sourced, and made from renewable or recycled resources.
Support sustainable and humane farming, promoting access to healthy, low impact, local, seasonal and organic diets and reducing food waste.
Use water efficiently in all buildings and operations. Designing to avoid local issues such as flooding, drought and water course pollution.
Protect and restore biodiversity and natural habitats through appropriate land use management and planning.
Respect and revive local identity, wisdom and culture; encouraging the involvement of people in shaping their community and creating a new culture of sustainability.
Create bioregional economies that support equity and diverse local employment and international fair trade.
Encourage active, sociable and meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing.
