Sustainability

The Whitsundays’ sheer natural beauty and environmental significance drive our region’s desire to be sustainable. Home to one of the world’s seven natural wonders, it is incredibly important to us that every visitor builds a connection with nature and leaves with a greater understanding and passion for living sustainably. Tourism operators are addressing climate change by participating in stewardship, innovative research and restoration activitites to ensure they can offer guests low-impact tours that conserve our local environment.

THE WHITSUNDAY CLIMATE CHANGE INNOVATION HUB

The Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub (Hub) is an initiative of the Whitsunday Regional Council. The Hub conducts research and develops innovative, practical solutions to help the Whitsunday region build resilience to climate change and undertake adaptation planning. The Climate Hub is leading climate change mitigation in The Whitsundays. The Hub has formed the Whitsunday Healthy Heart Reef Partnership, which includes over thirty tourism businesses collaborating to lower their emissions in a mighty effort to address climate change. WHITSUNDAYS REEF RESTORATION

Since its inception in 2018, the Whitsundays Reef Restoration Project has undertaken the planting of coral fragments around the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park at popular dive and snorkel sights, Blue Pearl Bay, Hayman Island and Manta Ray Bay, Hook Island. As part of the project, coral fragments have been propagated in coral nurseries before being transplanted onto the reef.

MORE ECO INITIATIVES

The Whitsundays is also proud to be a part of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Reef Islands Initiative, have a number of Master Reef Guides in the region and is home to Eco Barge Clean Seas, which since its establishment in 2009 has removed 239,633 kilograms of marine debris/litter from the Whitsunday region.

Scan here to learn more about The Climate Hub. For more information on sustainability initiatives in The Whitsundays scan here.