Townsville nabs spot on international sustainability list

Townsville is being recognised on the world map for its forward-thinking environmental practices in local government, with Council’s low-cost environmental sensors landing a spot on Green Destinations’ Top 100 Stories 2024.

The global organisation supports sustainable destinations, their businesses and their communities and compiles a yearly list of the top 100 inspiring stories on innovative sustainability initiatives from around the world.

Townsville joins NSW’s Central Coast and Barrington Coast on the list, which also includes stories from Finland, Brazil and Taiwan.

Council’s Chief Sustainability Officer Greg Bruce said it was a great honour for Townsville to be included on the list again for its story A city connecting the invisible – finding low-cost ways to build environmental sensors with community and visitors. Townsville has also been included in the Top 100 list in 2020 and 2021.

“We’re very proud of the work we do for our city and our environment. Townsville is a unique location interconnected with Southern Wet Tropics rainforests, sprawling bird life, internationally-protected wetlands, and 180km of tropical coastline linking to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and its islands,” Mr Bruce said.

“Council has been working with research groups and local businesses for more than a decade to develop and deploy locally-made smart monitors to collect environmental data of small-scale changes as well as major weather events like heatwaves, floods and cyclones.”

These sensors can record data on temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and solar irradiance, as well as rainfall, water height, water quality and the tilt and vibration that trees feel in the wind, providing essential data for Council’s teams to make informed decisions about weather and environmental impacts on the city.

Mr Bruce said the ongoing project wasn’t only beneficial for Council, but also for the wider community.

“We’re very fortunate to be able to work with schools, universities and other groups to make sensor building a fun and inclusive activity, engaging people to learn more about science, technology and future climate challenges,” he said.

“Hundreds of school students have participated in workshops to learn about sensors and programming since we started the program in 2011, which has a flow-on effect for each student involved, including an interest in citizen science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

“When we work together to see the invisible, we are better able to tackle climate diversity.”

Earlier this year, Townsville was awarded and named an ECO Destination at Nature Tourism level by Ecotourism Australia, reflecting the city’s commitment to sustainability, enhancing existing tourism offerings and encouraging new landmark opportunities and experiences in ecotourism.

Acting Mayor Paul Jacob said he was pleased to see the efforts of Council’s sustainability team recognised on the world stage again.

“As a city that sits at the doorway of the Great Barrier Reef, we hold an immense responsibility to our environment and doing what is best for the future of our region, which is why we’re so proud to have a spotlight on our efforts,” Cr Jacob said.

“I’d like to extend my congratulations to Council’s sustainability team for their work on the environmental sensor project and for yet again showcasing why Townsville is the ideal city to live, work and play in.”

To see the full list of the Top 100 Stories 2024, visit the Green Destinations website.