Our Promise of Greater Good is about continually improving as an industry and region, as well as introducing how our community has been making efforts in sustainable business (tourism) practices to limit our footprint and proactively give back through research, conservation, and regeneration projects.
The latest sustainable industry news
Welcome this month to all our new members.
From employing solar energy on a rainforest covered island to innovative waste management practices turning food waste into organic fertiliser, Green Island Resort has taken out top honours for “Best Environment and Energy Efficiency Practise” in the 2024 Queensland Hotel Association Awards for Excellence.
Australia faces a pressing waste management issue, impacting every sector including the tourism and hospitality sectors. Annually, our nation produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic with up to 5% of this leaking into marine environments.
Does your business hold Sustainable Tourism Accreditation Business (STAB) through the Quality Tourism Framework? The Tourism Emissions Reduction program is now available and currently free of charge for STAB operators!
Tropic Wings Cairns Tours & Charters have constantly been striving towards greener and more eco-friendly tours, a focus they have had at the core of their business ethos since they launched in 1981! With a mission to foster passion for nature and deliver transformational experiences, multi-award-winning, Tropic Wings has recently been awarded the Environmental Innovation Award at the 2024 Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) Industry Awards.
In the current landscape, there’s an abundance of resources aimed at supporting businesses in enhancing their sustainability practices, whether it’s through upskilling, certification, or gaining valuable data-based insights. TTNQ’s Sustainability Hub serves as a centralised and regularly updated online resource for our members, offering a wealth of tools, resources, grants, and opportunities tailored to our destination.
It’s no secret that no one really likes cleaning out our office compost bin. It’s full of limp vegetables, bruised bits of fruit, and the remnants of last Tuesday’s lunch. Guides are also not thrilled about picking the forbidden piece of salami out of a pile of food destined for our big compost bin (where meat doesn’t belong). Despite this, each week the team at Small World Journeys carefully sorts not only our food scraps but our recyclables, landfill waste and soft plastics.
This month our EDM is all about data! It’s a topic that some of us love and some of us are a little nervous about, but in the sustainability space it’s a wonderful way to look at the position of a business in order to set meaningful goals, to benchmark and to utilise information to tell the good stories of achievement as they are met.
Twinsition is a Cairns-based Sustainability advisory firm providing sustainability data systems and carbon accounting consulting services. We help organisations optimise systems, empower people, and streamline processes for the collection, management, visualisation, and reporting of energy, carbon, water, and waste data.
Cairns Airport is half way through a five-year Environment Strategy focusing on climate change, waste reduction, water efficiency, biodiversity protection, pollution prevention, and working with the local community. These initiatives led to Cairns Airport being crowned Airport of the Year twice in 2023, winning the Major Airport of the Year category at the Australian Airports Association (AAA) National Airport Industry Awards and being named Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards. Cairns Airport also took out the Airport Excellence Award for Sustainability for their Australia-first Sustainability Linked Loan agreement, which features a unique target committing to regenerating threatened species.
TTNQ’s vision is for Tropical North Queensland to be the leader in ecotourism in Australia. Our mission is for every visitor to leave our destination as a custodian of the region’s stories. We recognise you as one of the operators with the greatest commitment to sustainable tourism who takes the time to share the stories of how we are looking after TNQ’s unique natural and cultural places and I would like to welcome you to TTNQ’s new Sustainability Leaders Group. Each of you has made a significant commitment to sustainable tourism through the accreditation or certification of your business and you have been working for many years in engaging our visitors with the region’s story.
TTNQ has delivered the destinations first Sustainability Report.
These storytellers are champions of our industry and allow you to learn more about the sustainable practices that they approach and how you can participate or achieve a similar outcome.
Over the 30 years that Alan Wallish has been revealing the underwater wonders of the Great Barrier Reef to visitors, he’s seen an evolution: guests now want to play an active part in reef conservation.
Skyrail’s gondolas connect thousands of passengers per week with the world’s oldest tropical rainforest via one of the longest cableways on the planet – without leaving a footprint.
Sailaway describes how the company’s four luxury catamarans take advantage of the prevailing south-east trade winds to carry passengers to the Low Isles and outer Great Barrier Reef on a range of sailing eco-adventures.
Our Promise of Greater Good embodies our commitment to continuous improvement as an industry and as a region. We proudly spotlight the efforts of our community in adopting sustainable tourism practices that not only minimise our environmental footprint but also proactively contribute to research, conservation, and regeneration initiatives.
Together, as a united region, we invite you to share our Promise of Greater Good by utilising the following creative assets.
Learn how to adopt sustainable business practices and plan your journey towards the greater good.
A wide variety of Federal and State Government support, assistance, and grant programs are available to allow businesses to plan for a more sustainable future.
Queensland Department of Environment and Science
Australian Department of Agriculture, Water & Environment
Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water
Incentives for businesses to reduce their carbon emissions
Financial benefits for businesses that recycle oil
Assistance programs, grants, incentives, awards and subsidies for individuals, groups, community networks and businesses
A new program to support communities in seizing industry development opportunities presented by global decarbonisation
This guided search will help you find grants, funding and support programs from across the government
Businesses can significantly reduce their carbon footprint by tracking emissions and identifying areas that contribute the most to their emissions. This helps in identifying areas of operations that contribute the most to their carbon footprint, thereby mitigating climate change’s impact on the environment and communities served while also generating financial savings.
By measuring your footprint with these calculators, you will understand your carbon footprint, manage it, and reduce your emissions more effectively than ever before.
1. Sign-up for a free calculator
2. Enter your energy, water and waste data through the online system
3. See how you compare to others in your sector and region and determine where your efforts can sit to reduce your impact
1. Sign-up for a free calculator
2. Enter your business details and information
3. Find out how much your business can save with sustainability and the most common recommendations given to businesses in your industry
The Tourism Emissions Reduction program provides businesses with an emissions estimate and a tailored emissions reduction plan. Businesses can demonstrate their waste and emission reduction measures to visitors via a unique link and QR code.
Actions your business can take to increase profitability, capitalise on future opportunities, become more sustainable and manage climate risk
This program provides personal coaching, site surveys, training and tools to small and medium-sized businesses to help them improve resource efficiency and environmental sustainability and reduce operating costs
Explore the latest waste and recycling policies
Find out how you can reduce the amount of energy, water and waste your business uses to help save money and the environment
This strategy details the commitment to growing the economy for all regions and communities by delivering sustainable economic growth and future-facing industry development
Prepare your organisation for climate change by learning the knowledge and skills to not only transition to a net zero economy but take advantage of the opportunities it presents.
Sustainable tourism certifications are voluntary assessments and monitoring of the environmental and social impacts of tourism operators or organisations that facilitate tourism activities. Programs available for business certification are listed below.
The following Australian organisations are actively working towards achieving sustainable goals and providing significant resources and support to businesses for sustainability.
Food Waste Matters – Find out how to turn waste into profit
Reduce Food Waste at Your Business – For businesses in the food service industry, consider these steps to help you reduce food waste
Stop Food Wate Australia – Help businesses fight food waste and build a more sustainable, resilient and profitable food system
Boomerang Alliance – Plastic Free project that works with communities to help reduce single-use plastic packaging
Rethink Business Waste – Business Waste Incentives aimed at halving waste to landfill
Queensland Tourism Industry Council – Best Practice Guide for Working with First Nations Tourism
Queensland’s Zero Emissions Vehicle Strategy – 10-year strategy and plan to accelerate Queensland towards a cleaner, greener transport future while making sure the energy networks support the transition to zero-emission vehicles
Queensland’s Electric Super Highway – Connects electric vehicle drivers across our state and includes fast charging locations at a range of coastal and inland locations
Climate Council of Australia – Australia’s own independent, evidence-based organisation on climate science, impacts and solutions. View the latest reports, podcasts, infographics and myth-busting guides about the climate
Take 3 for the Sea – An award-winning Australian charity on a mission to rid the oceans of plastic pollution
Tangaroa Blue Foundation – An Australia-wide not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the removal and prevention of marine debris: one of the major environmental issues worldwide
Parley for the Oceans – Based in Cairns, the team operates along the Great Barrier Reef and beyond to conduct cleanups, conservation and education
Rainforest Rescue – Their projects include re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance, and restoration programs, as well as purchasing and protecting high conservation value rainforests and preserving their biodiversity
Envirocare – Is involved with many different projects with multiple organisations, all of whom are working towards the protection & regeneration of rainforests
Terrain National Resource Management – An environmental management organisation working in Australia’s Wet Tropics region of Tropical North Queensland
Reforest – Helping businesses and events take authentic climate action by planting trees in local reforestation projects through our web platform
Aboriginal Carbon Foundation – Aims to achieve economic independence and social and emotional health and wellbeing for First Nations people through carbon farming and cultural fire credits
Green Collar – Reef Credits is a voluntary environmental market that addresses the issue of poor water quality at the Great Barrier Reef by paying land managers for improved water quality resulting from their on-farm actions without compromising the productivity of their land.
The kind of place you dream about… then realise it’s real. Perched above South Mission Beach, @elandraresort offers front-row views to the Coral Sea and the islands beyond. Hands up if you have stayed here?
📸 @permanentlywandering
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @cassowarycoastaustralia
ID: A tropical pool setting complete with palm trees, sun lounges and a view looking out the Coral Sea.
Is this as close to island perfection as you will find? We think so...let us introduce you to #FitzroyIsland 🌴🤿.
🎥 @amys.camera.lens
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @fitzroyisland @fitzroyislandadventures @sunloverreefcruises
ID Aerial footage of Fitzroy Island shows boats anchored in clear turquoise water, white-sand beaches backed by rainforest, and swimmers enjoying the water.
There’s cheese boards… and then there’s @mungallicreek cheese boards. Think creamy farm-made cheese, house-baked sweets, seasonal fruit and organic ice cream churned just metres from where it’s served. Pull up a chair on the verandah and settle in, this is what slow food looks like on the @athertontablelands.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland
@australia
ID A couple visits Mungalli Creek Dairy. They browse the café’s cake display, order a large cheese platter, and enjoy it on the verandah overlooking the mountainous countryside.
Here at Etty Bay, the Southern Cassowary is part of the landscape but it’s also part of a much bigger story. These ancient rainforest guardians need our respect and protection to survive, so give them space, keep your distance and count yourself lucky if you see one.
📸 @helenapetryportfolio
ID A Southern Cassowary walks along the shoreline at Etty Bay, its striking black feathers and blue and red neck contrasting against the sand and ocean behind.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
Low tide magic on the Great Barrier Reef Drive.
🎥 @kellerdiaries
ID Drone footage of the Great Barrier Reef Drive between Cairns and Port Douglas, featuring low tide sandbanks, winding coastal roads, turquoise waters and rainforest.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @portdouglasdaintree
Wow! Can you feel the energy from this morning’s IRONMAN Cairns start?
It was next level… who else got goosebumps? Big congrats to young guns Bailey Tuddenham and Madi Toovey 🏊♂️🚴♀️🏃♂️ for taking out the IRONMAN 70.3. The full IRONMAN is far from over, so don’t miss a minute of the action on the Cairns Esplanade today 🎉🔥.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @visitpalmcove 🎥 @ironman.cairns
ID A video showing the electric atmosphere at the IRONMAN Cairns start line. Athletes run into the water as the race begins, surrounded by cheering crowds, event flags and the early morning light over the Coral Sea.
Not a bad spot for a winter dip. Just saying.
📍Cairns Lagoon
📸 @myholidaycentre
ID Cairns Lagoon at sunset, featuring people swimming and relaxing in the water. The sky is painted in pastel pink and purple hues, with the iconic silver fish sculptures standing along the waterfront.
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
We know where we would rather be 😉. Trev’s out here road testing both ends of the thermometer, what’s your pick? Beanies or boardies?
🎥 @trevs_gone_outdoors
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID The video follows a man transitioning between two extreme landscapes, the tropical rainforest of Tropical North Queensland and the snowy mountains of southern Australia.
When the whales are this curious, you don’t need to chase the moment, it finds you 💙. Dwarf minke season has arrived, bringing the gentle giants of the deep back to the Great Barrier Reef.
Known for their calm nature and surprising curiosity, these sleek swimmers often circle boats and snorkellers, creating once-in-a-lifetime encounters you will never forget. The #GreatBarrierReef is the only place on Earth where you can swim with dwarf minke whales and it only happens for two months a year, right here in Tropical North Queensland.
Seen one? Dreaming of it? Tell us👇
🎥 @pablocogollos_photography and @oceanearthstudios via @gbrmarinepark
#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia
ID Underwater footage of a dwarf minke whale in the clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Heli views, river crossings, red dirt, waterfalls, beach camps and one cracking sunset. Cape York, you’re a wild one and we love it!
📍Creb Track to the Tip
🚙 Pack the recovery tracks
🌴 Stay for a good time, not a long time
🎥 @_lanicooper_
ID A compilation of Cape York adventure scenes featuring 4WD vehicles crossing creeks, navigating muddy tracks and driving along red dirt roads.
