Since inception, Byron Private Treatment Centre has been committed to the environment, continually looking at avenues to reduce their environmental impact. The sustainable addiction and trauma treatment centre is continually working at protecting vulnerable flora and fauna and preserving and restoring endangered ecological communities present on the property such as the lowland subtropical rainforest.
Electricity is supplied via the recently installed 5kW solar electric system designed to service the centre’s electricity needs. The centre uses all LED lighting, which last longer and uses a fraction of the energy of standard lighting enabling Byron Private to significantly reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Byron Private water supply is a combination of harvested rainwater and groundwater. The water is not treated with chlorine or fluoride and has been tested by Rous Water Laboratories as meeting the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, most importantly the water tastes great, just as mother nature intended.
A state of the art, on-site effluent treatment plant processes the property's effluent, eliminating the possibility of harmful sewage pollution damaging the environment. The effluent is treated in a four stage process. First solids are removed, then nutrients are absorbed by plants through a series of reed beds. The remaining liquid is then treated with ultra violet light and finally the water is pumped into evapotranspiration beds where it evaporates into the air and soaks into the soil leaving absolutely no residual effect.
Food waste, paper and cardboard are all composted on site for reuse in the organic food production garden. Byron Private Treatment Centre is committed to responsible management of the captivatingly beautiful natural environment present both on the property and its surrounds. Current projects involve the restoration of Lowland Subtropical Rainforest along the riparian zone (creek). This area is protected under the Threatened Species Conservation Act as an Endangered Ecological Community and is home to the Macadamia tetraphylla, Macadamia Nut and Syzygium hodgkinsoniae, Smooth-bark Rose Apple which are both listed as vulnerable under federal and state conservation legislation. Professional bush regenerators engaged by Byron Private have removed vast amounts of weed species to allow endemic rainforest species to flourish.
Koalas occasionally visit the property to source favourite food trees and the team at Byron Private are working with Byron Shire Council’s Koala Connections Project Officer on a project to improve and expand koala habitat by planting areas of koala food trees such as Eucalyptus Robusta, Swamp Mahogany, Eucalyptus Microcorys, Tallowood and Eucalyptus Saligna, Sydney Blue Gum along with many other species. Increasing the koalas' habitat increases their chance of survival by supporting population growth hence reduced interbreeding and related disease.
