Living Smart
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At Living Smart every person in every household has the ability to make simple, effective and lasting changes towards sustainable living.

To guide you through these changes, Living Smart provides comprehensive, relevant information and resources in a user friendly format.

The Living Smart Program: Homes, Solutions and Awards is a partnership of the Sunshine Coast Council and Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Useful Tips and Facts

Water

  • A standard showerhead may use up to 25 litres of water per minute whereas water-efficient showerhead might use as little as seven litres per minute, which is less than a third.
  • A water-efficient washing machine may use only one-third the water of an inefficient model.
  • An old-style single-flush toilet could use up to 12 litres of water per flush, while a standard dual flush toilet uses just a quarter of this on a half-flush.
  • As a guide, running your hose at maximum capacity can use up to 20 litres per minute, so a full 1000-litre tank will provide around 50 minutes of hosing.
  • Ask council to provide you with a species list most suitable to your local conditions.
  • Check for leaks regularly as even one dripping tap can waste up to 2,000 litres per month. To do this, turn off your water for a few hours, if your meter reading changes it will be obvious that you have a leak.
  • Check your pool for leaks. A leaking pool can lose up to 500 litres a day.
  • Check your toilet for leaks, a leaking toilet can use up to 15 litres every day.
  • Checking your water meter regularly allows you to notice if your property has any hidden leaks.
  • Many native plants conserve water with small leaves often covered in a tough or hairy surface. Internal water storage and deep roots help them survive in times of drought.
  • Moreton bay residents are entitled to a free cubic metre of mulch a month from the local waste facility.
  • Mulch your garden regularly. This helps maintain moisture in the soil and control weeds that compete with plants for water.
  • Regularly check outdoor taps, pipes and plumbing fixtures for leaks. A single dripping tap can waste up to 2,000 litres a month.
  • Take note of the rainfall your garden receives. If your area has received significant rainfall (more than 50mm) it may be weeks before you need to water again.
  • To rinse your razor, run a little water into a plugged sink. Rinsing your razor under a running tap wastes a lot of water.
  • Water deeply and less frequently to encourage plants and lawn to grow deeper roots and be more resilient to dry times. Twice a week should be sufficient if you have a well-mulched garden, suitable soil and established plants
  • Where possible reduce the amount of time you use your garbage disposal unit. This will save up to 7 litres a minute.
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  • Waste

  • Buy a compost bin
  • Buy items that have minimal packaging
  • Chooks are great to eat your organic scraps
  • Put up a no junk mail sign
  • Take the time to take useable items to the resource recovery shops, including metals, timber, as well as functioning items that you no longer need.
  • Use natural cleaning products.
  • When recycling rinse out dirty containers in left over washing up water.
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  • Transport

  • 20% of all trips under 5km can easily be cycled in 20mins
  • Map out a safe route for your children to walk/ride to school. Meet them half way, park further away and walk. Buy umbrellas for wet weather.
  • Park your car further away from your destination and walk or cycle the rest of the way
  • Plan your car trips so you are doing several tasks./activities
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  • Energy

  • Avoid using a clothes dryer to dry your clothes.
  • Boil your kettle using only the amount of water you need
  • Only run one fridge.
  • Reduce the number of hot showers to one a day.
  • Turn off appliances at the wall.
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  • Biodiversity

  • Create urban wildlife corridors and stepping stones to larger local bushland or parkland areas.
  • In nature there is no such thing as waste everything is linked and contributes to the cycle. As a plant reaches the end of its life cycle it is not discarded by nature, instead it provides habitat for animals and food for micro-organisms as it lies on the ground, the waste from the micro-organisms, bacteria and fungi feeding on it replace nutrients and organic material to the soil for new plants to grow.
  • Plant local native species
  • The best way to attract native wildlife to your backyard is to provide a variety of healthy natural foods in the form of seeds, leaves, flowers, nectar, pollen, fruits and nuts throughout the year.
  • The use of pesticides and herbicides can damage your soils and kill non target species. The poisoning of insects with chemicals can also cause larger species relying on those insects as a food source to become sick or even die from eating poisoned insects.
  • To create habitat for smaller native birds you can grow shrubs close together to create dense corners or pockets in your garden which will provide protection and refuge from larger aggressive birds such as noisy miners
  • Wattles (Acacias). While most wattles only live between 6 - 10 years, they are an important pioneer species which colonise disturbed areas, where other plants find it hard to grow. They improve soil conditions enough to allow other species to germinate and thrive by fixing nitrogen into the soil through their roots and adding high levels of organic leaf litter.
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  • Food

  • Attend a local cheesemaking course
  • Become a Seedsaver
  • Celebrate the seasons
  • Discover the joy of sprouting
  • Eat less dairy
  • Eat less meat
  • Explore cooking with tropical foods
  • Grow some of your own fruit and veg
  • Incorporate Bushfoods into your garden and diet
  • Learn to cook new seasonal menus
  • Plant a Balcony Garden
  • Visit your local markets and find your local food producers
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  • Wellbeing

  • Eat Fresh versus processed
  • Enrol in a short course
  • Learn a new cooking technique
  • Participate in local volunteer activities
  • Swap the car for the bike
  • Take time to enjoy your local natural areas
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  • Neighbourhood

  • Make sustainable choices when you renovate - refer to the Your Home Technical Manual
  • Consider proximity to services when you're looking for a new property - it will save you time and money later. 
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