| Australia. Sandringham YC receives $117,500 from Victorian Government for eco friendly club house |
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| Tuesday, 12 September 2006 | |
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Di Pearson: Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC), with the assistance of the Victorian Government, is to build a new environmentally friendly clubhouse on its present site on the Port Phillip Bay foreshores in Melbourne. With a construction start date early in 2007, the new premises, which will replace the existing clubhouse and facilities, will be a two level structure comprising administration, sail training and under croft parking on the ground floor. The new building will capture the roof run off water and recycle it for landscape watering and regular wash down for the building and podium areas. As part of the Our Water Our Future Action plan, the State Government is providing $10 million to boost stormwater and urban water initiatives across Victoria. Stormwater harvesting and urban water conservation are core elements of the Government's plan to secure Victoria's water future for the next 50 year and this Project has been assisted by funding from the Stormwater and Urban Water Conservation Fund, a Victorian Government initiative administered through the Department of Sustainability and Environment. “We at Sandringham Yacht Club are thankful to the Victorian Government for their support of our redevelopment says Richard Hewett, SYC’s CEO. “The club is totally committed to creating an eco friendly environment and the storm water and urban water conservation fund is a tremendous initiative. We are very fortunate to receive $117,500 in support from the Victorian Government to put towards our stormwater and urban water recycling initiatives related to this project. Sandringham has a long term commitment to environmental compliance and site-specific best practices and this is a perfect fit for our redevelopment," he said. Believed to be the first of its kind at sailing clubs across Australia, the project will lead to two million litres of potable water substitution and the run-off will be collected in under floor tanks within the building with an overflow facility directed to the existing maintenance yard stormwater system. This drainage system is already part of a complex and integrated recycling system used for boat wash-down and general cleaning. The excess building rain water run off will enhance the capacity of this system. There will also be a new 230 space carpark built on the site of the existing club house. The car park will use WSUD design criteria (land scape swales and bioretention drainage and pollutant traps) to provide clean water runoff to Port Phillip bay. The stormwater will be collected in landscape swales, a bioretention drainage system and pollutant traps and filtered before entering the bay. The project also includes a number of educational and promotional activities such as inclusion of the project story in the company newsletters, magazines and facts sheets. Sandringham Yacht Club has over 2000 members with various ages, interests and activities and is considered the most progressive sailing club in Victoria, both sailing-wise and in its approach to the environment. In addition, SYC is used as a training facility for the William Angliss Institute of Tafe where students, as part of their training, are exposed to the culture of the club and are made aware of the sensitivities of the marine environment. The project therefore, has a strong potential to initiate behavioural change in the community towards water saving. In taking on this project, SYC will act as a model to others in the industry in setting the benchmark, inclusive of their recently built stormwater collection, treatment and recycling system. The Stormwater and Urban Water Conservation Fund will boost Victoria's use of alternative water supplies such as stormwater and recycled water. Stormwater is a largely untapped resource which can be used in place of fresh water for specific uses and smarter stormwater use and urban water conservation are core elements of Our Water Our Future, the Victorian Government's plan to secure water for Victoria's future. With the country experiencing water shortages due to lack of rain in catchment areas and a growing population, innovative approaches to stormwater management, local recycling and demand management are needed to stimulate cost effectiveness, and to secure the supply of alternative water resources. For further information: www.syc.com.au |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 September 2006 ) |
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