Locally-produced and
Sustainable
Cairns is a beautiful place and we feel a responsibility to protect it for future generations.
On a practical level, this means we use products and services that are locally-produced in sustainable ways and reduce waste, whenever possible.
As part of our commitment to making Cairns a sustainable destination, we are accredited by both Ecotourism Australia and ecoBiz.
Ecotourism Australia is the most familiar and highly-respected eco-accreditation in Australia.
ecoBiz is funded by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland and helps businesses adopt more sustainable practices.
To maintain our accreditation, we are audited by both organisations annually. This rigorous process involves us assessing everything from electricity consumption and waste separation to which cleaning products we use and our strategies to adapt to the likely effects of climate change, such as cyclones and floods.
Some of the initiatives that we have been taking:
- We carbon offset our entire business through the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation
- City Terraces proudly supports the work of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre through monthly financial support and occasional collaboration.
Here's a video made by the Circular Economy Far North Queensland which is a good summary of our recent efforts.
City Terraces was also recently featured on a major travel show featured on MBC, South Korea's largest TV station. Hannah, Lyn and Will, discussed our in-house commitments to sustainability. Here's a preview below.
While we have some solar panels, we’re still dependent on the grid, which is fuelled by coal-fired generators. Guests are encouraged to turn off the A/C and lights when not home.
Tap water in Cairns is safe and tastes good. We provide filtered, chilled water in reception and encourage you to bring a water bottle.
Cairns has a modern waste treatment facility, and we try to make it easier for the wonderful people who sort our waste by separating:
- Glass, metal, paper and hard/soft plastics;
- Batteries, light bulbs, electrical appliances;
- All other household waste:
Each apartment has a magnet on the fridge to show what goes in what bin.
We grow lemongrass, betel leaf, Vietnamese mint and other seasonal herbs at City Terraces. Guests are welcome to help themselves anytime.
We have 10 bicycles for guests to use for free. Cairns is flat and has lots of great bicycle paths so you can have fun while reducing your carbon footprint.
To reduce waste, we have an area for guests to drop off what they no longer need (food, clothes, shampoo etc.) and to take what they can use.
Our toilet paper is made from locally-grown sugarcane pulp, a by-product of sugar production.
Our soap comes from Natural Earth. It is petroleum-free, 100% vegetable-based, and contains Active Manuka Honey (AMH).
Our consumable products (shampoo, conditioner, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent) are in refillable pump packs to reduce waste.
To combat plastic bag waste, we have our own “Boomerang Bags” for you to borrow in the reception area and use degradable plastic bags in our rubbish bins.
Guests are welcome to take and leave books of any language on the community bookshelf during their stay.
We operate as a net zero carbon business by offsetting through the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation. Guests can also offset their stay ($1 a day for a 1 bedroom apartment & $1.50 per day for a 2 bedroom apartment).