The Environment

At Lillydale we are Advanced Ecotourism accredited. Protecting the natural environment refers to many factors and we try to embrace all of these aspects, including:

• Protecting, conserving and educating about the natural flora and fauna. We have set aside part of our property to encourage native flora to re-establish our traditional Softwood Vine Scrub vegetation. Staff and guests have planted over 3000 trees in the last 10 years! We have also been active participants of the adopt-a-road campaign where we pick up rubbish from the roadside. Finally we have a wildlife carer on staff who welcomes injured and orphaned native animals that are in need of help. These animals are then released at Lillydale and often pop in to say G'day.                                  
• Conserving our precious natural resources. Lillydale encourages guests to conserve water by providing cartoons that help explain water conservation to younger children and also providing guest rooms with shower timers and using dual flush systems in all bathrooms. Lillydale also provides several bins for recycling and guests are encouraged to participate in our waste reduction plan.
• Education about environmental issues. There is information posted in each room highlighting the projects we are working on from the koala corridor which is rapidly growing and will provide a new habitat for all native animals especially when the understory bushes are planted to the lillypilly maze which will also provide a fantastic food source for native animals and a fun activity for our guests. 
• Demonstrating Cultural sensitivity. Doug and Pam take great pride in counting the Mununjali elders as friends. They are regular visitors to Lillydale and the trees that they have planted hold pride of place at the homestead. Being long time farmers they also spend many days helping the other farmers in the district and make sure that their guests have minimum impact on surrounding farmers. 
• Contributing to conservation on a Local, State, National and global level. We have completed the Carbon Biggest Loser program where we slashed more than 2,000 kg of carbon usage from our yearly total. 
• Working with the local community. We often donate prizes for local events such as the Rathdowney Heritage Festival, Rathdowney Rodeo and Rathdowney School. We are also completing the local food cluster miles program to try and source all food within our local region. We have also been attending the SEQ property workshops to help us utilise our property more efficiently with less impact.

We regularly consult with traditional landowners and government departments in relation to minimising the impact of our activities on the natural environment.

 
              Mt Barney                            Trail rides on designated paths                     Our "Dinosaur" Cave

We currently employ best practice principles for our accommodation and activities through many innovations including:

• The use of water efficient shower heads, aerators in taps and dual flush toilets in all rooms
• Using energy efficient appliances
• Using biodegradable cleansers and products
• Recycling grey waste water for use in the gardens
• Landscaping with native and low water plants
• Minimising guided activities to 10 people per group
• Using designated paths for our activities

We encourage our guests to raise their awareness of environmental concerns through their personal efforts in water conservation, conserving electricity and collecting their rubbish. We aim to show you an appreciation of our natural environment through our guided activities and raise your awareness of ecological issues. Learn what you can do to help lower your carbon footprint by visiting the Climate Smart website.

We also encourage you to sponsor a tree on the property to assist in the construction of our Koala Corridor and to help offset emissions created when you drive or fly to visit us. We also regularly plant trees throughout the property to reduce carbon, soil erosion and to regenerate the native species. This can be a lasting reminder of your stay and a way to assist in conserving the natural environment and providing food sources and habitats for Australian native animals.

This little koala was recently spotted in the trees lining our driveway outside the cabin. We are very encouraged to see that trees planted only 12 years ago are already having such a positive impact.

We are continually monitoring and updating our operations to ensure that our guests receive a quality experience which is ecologically sustainable. We welcome you to participate in this process by providing your feedback about your experience. Please enquire at the Office about this process.

We also support Ecotourism organisations which offer guests an opportunity to experience our natural areas in a way that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation. We encourage you to visit the website for Eco Tourism Australia at www.ecotourism.com.au to learn more about these organisations.

Our 5 star environmentally rated two bedroom cabin is now completed. Environmentally friendly and sustainable products were used throughout the cabin which offers privacy and is a great place to relax and unwind.

View from two bedroom cabin

For more information on how you can become environmentally responsible please visit the Tourism Queensland website.

Join our email list