Projects
Solar Energy Grant
The
Community Centre is going solar. Solar panels and lighting are
currently being installed in the Centre. If you are thinking of going
solar, why not have a look at the solar setup at the Community Centre
and talk to people who are familiar with this technology. We will be holding a number of free workshops on solar technology at the Centre later this year.
Front shade sail
Community
members will be erecting a shade sail at the front of the Community
Centre some time in the next few months. John P will be organizing the
volunteers so drop in and see him on a Thursday if you want to help out.
Community Water Grant
In
2006 Chillingham Community Association received funding from Round 1 of
the Australian Govt. Community Water Grants for a project titled “Sustainable water use at Chillingham Community Centre”. The project was designed to provide a sustainable water supply by collecting, using and recycling water on site.
Infrastructure
provided through the project includes rainwater tanks to capture
maximum rainfall, water saving toilets and taps to reduce water use and
a Biolytic (worm farm) sewage treatment system to replace the septic
system. Treated water from the Biolytic system is used onsite to
irrigate plantings.
Riparian
regeneration is another part of the Community Water Grant. To improve
surface and ground water health, 500 metres of riparian vegetation on
an unnamed tributary of the
Rous
River has been planted with local native plants and a local bush regenerator has been employed through the project to control weeds.
As partners in the project,
Tweed Shire Council built a new toilet block and
TURSA Work for the Dole team built a verandah for the Community Centre
to extend the roof area that can catch rainwater. The
Tweed
River Committee at Council also contributed to the riparian regeneration part of the project.
The
new water saving infrastructure at the Community Centre is a model of
ecologically sustainable water use. As a remote rural village
independent of town water supply we need adequate water saving
infrastructure to provide for growing community and visitor use and to
see us through drought times.
The
community vegie garden at the Centre now has a more reliable water
supply to irrigate the produce grown there. We have fresh rainwater to
drink. And locals and visitors to the Community Centre learn how to be
frugal with the water they use…WATERWISE!
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