Sustainability ideas on display at expo

Cairns Esplanade will host more than 40 stallholders for this weekend’s Sustainable Living Expo.

A joint initiative of Cairns Regional Council and the Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE, the Sustainable Living Expo has something for the whole family and aims to promote products and concepts to make the Cairns region more sustainable.

Now in its fifth year, the expo will feature local products, businesses, community groups, music, performers and exhibitors.

“The expo will provide lots of ideas to help people live more sustainably,” Council’s Sustainability Coordinator Maree Grenfell said. “When we talk about sustainability, we mean saving money, looking after the natural environment and the community we live in.

“Stallholders range from solar energy providers to organic food suppliers, chemical-free cleaning products, baby products, electric bicycles, conservation volunteers and more.

“There will be demonstrations of how to improve sustainability in your home and garden - including how to build a straw bale garden, grow tropical foods, keep a worm farm.

“There will also be free bicycle safety checks performed by The Bike Pitstop.”

Prizes will be awarded for a photographic competition open to school students in the Cairns region.

“Students were asked the question ‘what makes the world a better place?’ and we have been overwhelmed by the standard of photographic responses,” Ms Grenfell said.

“Many of the entries will be on display at the expo and I know it has been a particularly difficult task to judge this competition.”

The Sustainable Living Expo will open at 11am on Sunday, July 15, with the photographic competition winners announced at 1.30pm. Activities will continue until 4pm.

Visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au for more information.