ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Queensland Airports Limited has a holistic approach to environmental sustainability.  We want to ensure our business efficiency meets our visitor and community expectations and that, where practical, our environmental management practices go beyond legislative compliance.  QAL has embarked on a program of addressing the twin challenges of sustainability (responding to global challenges such as climate change) and business efficiency (in light of rising costs and stakeholder expectations).

QAL has began a strategic overview of environmental sustainability and created the ‘QAL Sustainability Pathway’.  This strategy aims to concurrently address sustainability and business efficiency.

The key principles for QAL:

• Ensure a whole of organisation commitment to environmental sustainability.
• Triple-bottom line is the only solution that delivers a long-term benefit and business viability.
• Our aim is to be as efficient as possible.
• We will take the achievable steps to make a difference at all levels.
• Sustainability is not part of the QAL marketing approach, but part of our operating philosophy.
• We will celebrate the success of our initiatives and empower our staff.
• Continue to nurture the uniqueness of each airport in the QAL Group.
• We will maximise every opportunity for efficiency gains and improvements where economically viable to do so.
• We will engage with our on-airport community and promote a clear commitment to sustainability and practices to reduce energy, water and waste saving initiatives that will improve our bottom line.

Strategies to achieve our vision:

1. Top down management

Understanding our company’s corporate and social responsibility obligations and our compliance with local and national regulations.

2. Understand the implications of carbon

Understanding the potential impacts of climate change and the implications on our business, customers, suppliers and staff.

3. Dedicated and trained staff

Helping staff adapt to changes through education, communication and training.

4. Flexible and staged implementation

Creating flexible, proactive policies and management guidelines.

5. Reduce green house gas emissions

Implement initiatives to reduce green house gases verified through appropriate measuring and monitoring systems.

6. Adaptive management planning

Reducing the negative effects of climate change through adaptive management.

7. Improve integration

Improving the integration of sustainability measures across all departments and business units.

8. Ongoing monitoring and measurement

Implementing measurable objectives and monitoring and reporting back on initiatives undertaken.

Environmental Legislation

All QAL Group airports operate under the Airports Act 1996 and Airports (Environmental Protection) Regulations 1997 (administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government).

Airport Environmental Strategies

The Airport Environment Strategy (AES) is a strategy providing the management of environmental aspects on airport, with a mandate to review every five years in accordance with the Airports Act and is required to be submitted to the Federal Minister for approval. The current AESs for Gold Coast Airport was approved in line with the current Airport Master Plan in 2012. The Townsville Airport Environment Strategy was approved as part of the 2016 Townsville Airport Master Plan.