Stories From: Sustainability

Architect Simon Anderson and his partner Kim Bell-Anderson designed and built an off-grid, fire-resistant home in the Megalong Valley. Explore the property, see how they did it and get tips on how to make your own home fire resistant and more sustainable here.  

In response to the global biodiversity crisis, which has seen around 69% of wildlife populations decline in 50 years, Lawson resident Ian Tanner has established an Ecological Funding Group which is raising funds to provide focussed donations to the Environmental Defenders Office and The Nature Conservancy.

Along Macquarie Road in Springwood, many businesses are taking action by making quiet, and often surprising decisions which benefit and promote sustainability in our local area, and across the world.

Australian Pollinator Week 2023 is 11-19 November. And BUZZBUZZ is a new shop that has opened in Leura to champion pollinators. You can too - find out how here.

When school kids around the state heard the call: Invent or innovate something that will change our world and leave a lasting impact, Lawson Public School students rose to the challenge.

Op shops and secondhand stores are booming in Katoomba, part of a growing interest in the circular economy. It's also helping locals save money while looking good in vintage and retro fashion.

As we rethink how to live in a warming world, building designers like Kirstie Wulf in Hazelbrook are exploring new fire-resistant building materials like hempcrete. In 2015 Kirstie received the National Building Designers Association Award for her first hempcrete home and she’s been designing them ever since.

Julie Paterson and Manda Kaye’s home in Blackheath was designed with bushfire in mind and they are now preparing for the bushfire season. They’ve also moved to renewables and Julie is working on collaborative community art projects that embody the philosophy of re-using and re-making.

The 2013 fires damaged much of Andy Stevenson's property on the Darling Causeway in Mount Victoria. Andy was determined to survive the next fire, while also creating a beautiful haven for family, guests and wildlife. Read his story here.

Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre General Manager Morna Colbran talks about the value of volunteering for the health of people and the planet. She also shares how Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre is providing support after disasters and is responding to food scarcity, homelessness, challenges specific to women and financial literacy.