Council urges eco-home owners to open doors, share ideas

LISMORE City Council is promoting the notion of idea sharing to create positive change – and what better place to start than at home?

NATURALLY GOOD: Richard Swinton of Clunes, made his existing house and land sustainable. Picture: Mireille Merlet-Shaw

LISMORE City Council is promoting idea sharing to create positive change - and what better place to start than at home?

As part of this year's Sustainable House Day, Lismore City Council is encouraging residents who have retrofitted their home, or built an eco-home from scratch, to register their houses for an open house, giving people the chance to get a real-life look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind.

• Open your house for Sustainable House Day

Visitors will also get a chance to talk to owners about their experiences and receive advice on setting up a sustainable home.

Lismore City Council is partnering with Rous Water to hold a seminar and trade show in conjunction with Sustainable House Day on September 6 at the Lismore Workers Club.

Among the speakers at the show is Richard Swinton, of Clunes, who will discuss and demonstrate through slides how he and his wife Cindy Thummel have revamped their home to be more sustainable.

"We can't all build new efficient houses," Mr Swinton said.

"Most of us will continue to live in our existing housing stock, but even apparently hopeless houses can be improved - made more comfortable and cheaper to live in - with a little thought and understanding of basic principles."

He said it's all a question of how your house works in the place it's in, and working carefully to make it operate better.

Mr Swinton's solar and water-efficient home has a permaculture garden and chooks and also uses sustainable methods for things such as keeping the east- and west-facing house cool in summer.

"How we live can be as important as what we live in," Mr Swinton said.

For more information phone Vanessa Tallon at Lismore City Council on 1300 878 387.