Sustainability

Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club recognises that it has a responsibility in the community to lead by example and fulfil a role of raising awareness and educating staff, members and the community about the benefits and rewards of operating sustainably.

Sustainability translates into a charter to reduce the ecological footprint of the Club, meet community expectations and to effectively reduce the bottom line in the process.

Our Club is an active member of the Illawarra Sustainable Clubs Alliance and has engaged assistance in improving its environmental sustainability performance from Rana Environmental. Rana Environmental provides our Club with guidance to align us towards sustainability as a core business management strategy, so as to realise operational cost savings and reduce our environmental footprint.

The Club has put in place a range of systems to ensure that sustainability is being addressed and reviewed within the Club as well as undertaken initiatives to improve sustainability performance. These include:

Solar PV System

The Club has a 414kW Solar PV system, representing the largest installation on a Club in Australia. The system generates approximately 530MWh of electricity per annum or 25% of the Clubs total electricity demand.

Waste Management

Following participation in the NSW EPA Bin Trim Program, Warilla Bowls & Recreation Club has increased the waste diversion rate by volume from 11% to 26%.

The Club has achieve this outcome by installing a Pulp Master food maceration system that caters for all food waste organics. The material is subsequently injected into farming land to improve soil nutrients and structure. The Club was also successful in receiving $3,100 in funding from the Bin Trim Rebate Program, to install new colour coded recycling bins throughout all operational areas.

The total cost of the waste management system decreased by approximately $29,000 or 41% following the amended waste management system.

Internal lighting and Car Park Lighting

All internal lighting has been upgraded to LED lighting, with the exception of fluorescent lighting that has been upgraded to T5 linear tubes. The Indoor Bowling Green lighting was replaced with units that are 66% more efficient.

Similarly, all car park lighting has been upgraded to LED lighting that is 60% more efficient.

In total, the lighting upgrades have collectively reduced electricity demand by 12%.

Sustainability Matters Project

The Sustainability Matters Project, as supported by the NSW Government’s Climate Change Fund, reduced energy consumption by approximately 7% through the installation of energy efficient lighting, and resulted in water savings of approximately 9% by retrofitting water intensive woks with waterless woks.

Water Tanks

The Club installed water tanks with a combined capacity of 8 x 50,000L. Captured rainwater is utilised to irrigate the Clubs bowling greens and is estimated to accommodate for approx. 30% of the Clubs water demand.

Outcomes

The Club has been maintaining a Resource Consumption Monitoring System since January 2009 that collects consumption data and allows the Club to view improvements and outcomes.

Water, electricity and gas consumption has reduced by 43%, 32% and 4% respectively, equating to a total cost saving of approximately $160,000 per annum if no action to reduce resource consumption had been made.