Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project Attracts More Businesses Than Ever Before.

The Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project, an initiative of the Whitsunday Regional Council, has now recruited 45 ambitious businesses from the tourism sector.

The project, which is part of the Reef Islands Initiative, has welcomed a wide cross-section of tourism sector businesses, including marine operators, island resorts, marinas, mainland accommodation providers, restaurants and bars, mainland tour and transport services, caterers, and ceremony providers.

Over the past 24 months, tourism industry businesses have been encouraged to measure their emissions and to develop carbon reduction targets to facilitate greener and more sustainable practices within their operations.

One of the aims of the initiative is to support the decarbonisation of the tourism sector by providing an innovative and easy-to-use online carbon calculator for businesses to measure their operational emissions from energy, water, and waste.

Mayor Julie Hall said the project is providing important tools to tourism-based business to assist in reducing their environmental impacts on our region.

“Low carbon emissions are essential to building resilience in the tourism sector, and the project is helping businesses tackle the important first step to measure their carbon footprint,” she said.

 “The Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project provides complementary access to the EarthCheck energy and carbon calculator which is based on internationally accepted methodologies.

“Full training is provided on the calculator and business owners are usually surprised at how easy the data entry is.” said Mayor Hall.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation Strategic Initiatives Director Melissa Rodgers said climate change is the greatest threat to our Reef and emissions reduction is an important action we can take to secure its future.

“It’s heartening to see so many local businesses getting on board by working towards a carbon neutral Reef industry in the Whitsundays as part of our Reef Islands Initiative.” Ms Rodgers said.

For more information or to register interest in joining the Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project, please visit our website https://www.innovationhub.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/whitsunday-healthy-heart-project

The Whitsunday Islands is one of three key locations with projects currently underway as part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative, which is working to restore critical island habitats to protect ecosystems and save vulnerable species. The 10-year program is supported by funding from Lendlease, the Australian Government’s Reef Trust, the Queensland Government, and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation.

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For media enquiries, contact:
Hannah Fuzier, Communications Officer
07 4945 0244 or Email: communications@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au