Cool Lifestyle gets Air Time with Power and Water’s Backing

The techniques of ‘cool living’ in Central Australia and other hot dry environments will be given air time this week.

Community radio station, 8CCC FM, will broadcast a radio documentary, sponsored by Power and Water Corporation, on the Alice Springs 2003 Environmental Excellence Award winning ‘Cool Living House’ project, a home specially designed for energy and economic efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Power and Water sponsored the documentary through its annual Environmental Excellence Awards as a way to extend the benefits of the home project.

“The home design has shown that it is possible to cut electricity and water usage by up to 50 per cent and still live in a comfortable way, even in the harsh environment of Central Australia,” says the documentary’s producer, Megg Kelham.

“We have produced a Compact Disk which is available from ALEC - the Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs. ALEC originally ran the cool living house project too. People who missed the opportunity to see the cool living house can find out all about it by getting a copy of the CD from ALEC.

“The house attracted some 1000 visitors over two years during ‘open days’ – but it is a private residence today so people can no longer visit. The documentary tells the story of the design, construction and final sale of the home for all those people who want to learn how to live in a hot place in comfort in an environmentally friendly and economically efficient manner,” said Megg.

Power and Water spokesperson, Donna Boyce, said the grant to enable the documentary fitted well with the Corporation’s aim of informing people of energy and water savings that can be made through good design.

“We know that people want to reduce their consumption for both financial and environmental reasons, so sponsoring a program on how it can be done makes good sense,” she says.

“Power and Water is looking forward to backing innovative projects in the 2005 round of Environmental Excellence Awards and grants, which will close in just over a week, May 16.”

Meanwhile Power and Water is backing a ‘celebrity saving’ contest which pitches media and other celebrities against each other on reducing power and water expenses in their own homes.

The cool living house radio documentary will be broadcasted on 8CCC 102.1FM in Alice Springs on Wednesday 11 May at 2pm.

Contact:
Nicole Manison,
Corporate Communications
0401 117 649 or 8951 7271