Cairns Convention Centre

The Cairns Convention Centre is Australia's first environmentally designed major public building and has won many awards for its energy and resource conservation features including the first ever EIBTM environmental award in 1994.

The Centre, unlike previous public buildings at the time was formed from a combination of steel and laminated plantation timber, producing a more crafted architecture that responds to environmental issues. The list of environmental features of the Centre includes:

Rain Water Storage - 50% Saving

Cairns Convention Centre's double layer pleated plate roof is designed to capture the seasonal tropical downpours, and channel rainwater directly into storage tanks.

This feature provides half of the Centre's grounds and garden watering needs, reducing its call on treated town water.

Flow Restrictors - 25% Water Saving

The Centre's water usage is modified further by the installation of water flow restrictors on all outlets. The expected water saving is between 25% and 30% of total water needs.

Solar Hot Water - 30% Energy Saving

Solar hot water heaters provide between 30% and 35% of the Centre's hot water needs, producing a significant saving on electricity usage and costs.

Shading Devices - 5% Energy Saving

Shading devices are installed along the eastern side of the structure, reducing the level of air conditioning needed to keep the building cool. The shading devices save approximately 5% of the energy required to air condition this section of the building.

Air Conditioning

R134a Refrigeration Machines have been installed throughout the Convention Centre's air conditioning system. This model machine does not use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as its refrigeration agent. This ensures that no damage would be caused to the ozone layer if a refrigerant leak were to occur.

EarthCheck Certification

The Cairns Convention Centre Team is committed to maintaining the highest environmental credentials and continues to achieve EarthCheck Certification.

AEG 1EARTH

Cairns Convention Centre’s commitment to the environment is woven into the way the venue operates through AEG 1EARTH, AEG Ogden’s environmental program that measure and quantifies the impact of its operations.

AEG 1EARTH has set company-wide 2020 environmental goals focusing on energy, water and waste. Cairns Convention Centre tracks its progress towards these goals on a monthly basis through AEG Ecometrics.

Earth Hour

The Cairns Convention Centre as part of the AEG Ogden family of facilities is proud to support and participate in this global environmental awareness event. The next Earth Hour takes place on Saturday 30 March 2013 at 8.30pm.