Businesses often want to make significant retro fit changes to save the environment but in tight economic times the money isn’t always immediately available. However, seventeen Business Treading Lightly partners in the Illawarra and South Coast have been successful in winning a competitive grant in the latest round of the NSW’s Government’s Climate Change Fund.

In the Kiama and Shellharbour area, Albion Park RSL Memorial Club was successful in gaining $33,323 in funding to install new energy efficient lighting and to paint its roof with heat reflecting paint. This is expected to save 100 tonnes of CO2 a year. Oak Flats Bowling and Recreation Club were granted $21,995 to install rainwater tanks to flush its new 4 star water efficient toilets and washing machines. With over 750 people visiting the club daily this is expected to save 2.5 million litres of water a year. The Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT), which provides aged care services in the region successfully applied for grants for 9 of its facilities in the region.

As a result of the funding a total of $725,855 will enter the region which will fund annual savings of 13,100,000 litres of water, 1,164.7mW of electricity and 1,245 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This equates to saving the successful applicants about $218,000 a year in utility bills, reducing water consumption by the equivalent of 5.25 Olympic sized swimming pools and taking 275 cars off the road.