Environmental approach sees Salt Torquay awarded One Planet Living status

BARWON Water’s Salt Torquay development is the first housing estate in regional Australia to be recognised as a One Planet Community.

One Planet Living is an internationally recognised leadership program based on 10 simple principles that enable organisations to plan for, deliver and communicate sustainability.

In 2017, Barwon Water became the first water utility in Australia to embrace the One Planet Living framework.

The Salt Torquay One Planet Action Plan has just been endorsed by Bioregional Australia as demonstrating “National Leadership” in One Planet Living in 2018.

Barwon Water acting managing director Jo Murdoch said Salt Torquay offered many long-term advantages through being a sustainably designed and built estate.

“We are committed to delivering Salt Torquay as a truly sustainable residential estate by establishing a framework for future residents to design, build and live in comfortable, small environmental footprint homes,” Ms Murdoch said.

“The estate will be designed to create a vibrant community with a people-friendly – rather than cardominated – layout and innovative creation of open space,” she said.

Ms Murdoch said Barwon Water has appointed a community facilitator to ensure future residents of Salt Torquay are supported to embrace One Planet Living once they move in. This means that the Salt community will have ongoing support to assist in continued sustainable living practices.

Salt Torquay is currently under construction and when complete will provide a diverse range of housing types – villas, townhouses and units with lots ranging from 300sqm to 830sqm, accommodating 81 dwellings.

The development is located close to schools, amenities and public transport, with pedestrian and cycling paths connecting to amenities, sports facilities and beaches.

All houses will have at least 2.5kW of solar panels installed and also be connected to a 250kW solar array and, combined, these two renewable energy features will generate most of the estate’s total energy demand, while each of the estate’s 81 homes will also include electric car charging points, rainwater harvesting abilities and have a minimum 7.5-star energy rating.

Ms Murdoch added that by developing the former water basin site on Grossmans Road itself rather than selling to a developer, Barwon Water is also reducing pressure on water bills and moving to realise its strategic vision of transitioning from water utility to an enabler of regional prosperity.

“The Salt Torquay One Planet Community supports our organisational vision of providing value to our customers and community and contributing to greater regional prosperity, a more sustainable future and lower customer prices.”