ENG93000 - S3 2018: Sustainable Engineering Management in Gold Coast

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of sustainable engineering management practices implemented in the City of Gold Coast, Australia. The study examines various aspects of sustainable practices, including sustainable engineering, sustainable living, energy saving initiatives, tree plantation programs, waste minimization strategies, sustainable water management, sustainable transport solutions, and sustainable building and renovation projects. The research employs a positivism philosophy and a descriptive research design, utilizing secondary data from case studies, scholarly articles, and the city's official website. The findings highlight the city's efforts in renewable energy generation, waste reduction, water conservation, and promoting sustainable living. The report also discusses the benefits of these practices and suggests future directions for enhancing sustainability efforts. The assignment aims to provide insights into how engineering management can contribute to a proactive and sustainable future for the city.

Running head: SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
Sustainable engineering management practices
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Background of the City..............................................................................................................2
Research method........................................................................................................................2
Findings and Analysis................................................................................................................4
Sustainable engineering.........................................................................................................4
Sustainable living...................................................................................................................4
Energy saving.........................................................................................................................5
Plantation of trees...................................................................................................................7
Minimization of wastes..........................................................................................................8
Sustainable water...................................................................................................................9
Sustainable transport..............................................................................................................9
Sustainable building and renovation....................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Future Directions......................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
This study is focused on analysis of the sustainable engineering management practices
in the City of Gold Coast, Australia. In this paper, the analysis is carried out on the various
sustainable practices that are presently used in the City of Gold Coast. The research is carried
out considering the various practices that are existing in the city so that those could be used in
other places for sustainable future. In this paper, the discussions are carried out on the
research method along with tools and techniques that has been used for analysis of the chosen
topic. The findings and analysis section present the data that has been gathered on sustainable
engineering management and how those could be implemented to ensure sustainable future.
Background of the City
The City of Gold Coast Australia has been selected for this research to analyse the
present sustainable management practices in the city. The City of Gold Coast, Australia is
one of the leading cities in terms of tourism along with business and various events. It also
boasts to have the best lifestyle in the world (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2019). The city has a
population of nearly 600,000 and there is average annual growth rate of 4% on a five-year
basis. The city has grown mainly with an economic base from tourism and construction
which is becoming more diverse and the economic environment is based on knowledge. The
present economic value of the city is more than $33 billion. The city presently follows
various practices for saving energy, waste management, sustainable water, transport, building
and renovation. The city council focuses on sustainable living which means conserving the
precious resources of the city.

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Research method
Research method is used for determining answers to the questions so that the research
could be completed to achieve the desired goals and objectives. The research method is
considered as a strategy for implementing the plan to achieve the desired requirements. A
particular research can be executed with the help of various ways which depends on the goals
being determined for the research. The research method provides a pathway to achieve the
designed goals and objectives (Singla, Ahuja and Sethi 2018). This particular research has
been conducted following the steps as required to fulfil the desired aims and objectives of the
research. For this particular research, a positivism philosophy approach has been chosen so
that better analysis could be carried out and the hidden facts related to selected topic could be
revealed to achieve the desired results. The deductive research approach is used in this
research such that the research theories could be applied for gaining access to data for this
particular research.
Research design is another essential aspect that has been considered while acquiring
the desired results for successful completion of the research. There are basically three types
of research design that is Exploratory, Explanatory and Descriptive which helps to gain better
insight into the chosen topic. For this research, the descriptive design has been selected so
that extended results could be gained on the sustainable engineering management practices
prevalent in the City of Gold Coast, Australia (Kelly and Chisholm 2017). Data collection is
another important factor which helps in better analysis of the undertaken topic. The data
could be collected with the help of various tools and techniques depending on the type of data
that will be used for the research. Typically, there are two types of the data sources that is
Primary and Secondary which depends on the results that have to be achieved from the
research. Primary data source helps to collect raw data that are helpful for gaining in-depth
knowledge on the research topic. Primary data is being collected through survey

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questionnaires or interviews to acquire desired data from the participants that would help in
achieving the goals and objectives. For this particular research, Secondary data is being used
which is collected from the case studies and the different sources of information such as
scholarly articles and the websites (Rooney and Gill 2018). The secondary data is collected
through review on the scholarly articles or information being displayed in the websites. For
this particular research, the data has been collected mainly from the website of the city which
demonstrates on the current sustainable practices along with their future plans to ensure
sustainability in the city.
Findings and Analysis
Sustainable engineering
The term sustainable engineering is referred as the process of designing or using
systems so that they could make efficient use of energy as well as resources. Sustainable
engineering is applied to ensure sustainability such that the precious resources can be
conserved by reducing wastage of those resources. Sustainable engineering management
practices ensure that there is consumption of required amount of resources only and there is
reduced wastage of resources (Joshi 2018). Sustainable engineering focuses on the principles
to ensure that there is support for sustainable development. Sustainable engineering practices
should be applied so that there is development in technology while maintaining the impact on
environment. Sustainable engineering has an important role to play for improving the living
conditions while ensuring sustainability. The resources could be preserved with the
application of suitable engineering management practices or techniques so that there could be
efficient utilization of resources. The implementation of sustainable engineering practices
will help in delivering the solution for sustainable living so that the desired requirements of
the residents in the city could be fulfilled along with maintaining the impact on environment.

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Sustainable living
Sustainable living refers to living more sustainably at home, work or during travel
such that there are benefits as required by residents of the city. Sustainable living will ensure
that there is reduction in wastage of resources and at the same time there is less impact on the
environment (Chang 2015). Various benefits could be achieved by undertaking a more
sustainable approach for everyday living. Some of the benefits that could be gained through
sustainable living are illustrated as below:
Money saving – The people could cut down their expenses of living through various
measures as listed below:
 Reducing the consumption of energy by utilizing secondary sources of energy
 Reducing the wastage of water.
 Growing their own food and buying recycled or second-hand goods.
The above methods will help them to save money and reduce the impact on
environment.
Healthy living – The people should practice walking and cycling instead of using cars
and they should also practice buying of locally produced goods for their wellbeing.
Detoxication – The toxic materials should be eliminated by using natural and cheaper
alternatives rather than household and cleaning products available in the supermarkets.
Energy saving
The consumption of non-renewable energy has to be reduced as it is critical for
controlling the emission of greenhouse gases and changes in climatic conditions (Dizdaroglu
and Yigitcanlar 2016). The residents of the City of Gold Coast have also focused on reducing
the consumption of electricity by adopting green energy alternatives such as use of

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sustainable transport, purchase of energy efficient and products that are environment friendly.
An Energy Management Plan has been developed by the City of Gold Coast which focuses
on generation of green renewable energy. The plan will help in designing and innovating
sustainable buildings through proper planning measures.
Figure 1: Energy Consumption in households of the City of Gold Coast
(Source: Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2019)
The above figure illustrates that most of the energy is being consumed by the heating
and cooling appliance fitted in the households and the others also contribute towards
significant amount of energy consumption. Hence, the City has undertaken various projects to
ensure that renewable energy can be produced and those can be availed by residents of the
city. Some of the sustainable engineering management practices being undertaken by the city
are listed as below:
 Cogeneration plant has been setup at Elanora Wastewater Treatment Plant
 Landfill gas generators has been installed at various landfill sites

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 The wastes like green landfill are being sent to the Rocky Point Cogeneration
Plant for processing
 Photovoltaic (solar electricity) cells has been installed on roof of the venue for the
Commonwealth Games
 In the downstream of Hinze Dam, Micro-hydro turbine generator has been
implemented
 Implementation of hybrid vehicles as a part of the City's fleet.
Plantation of trees
The life in the City of Gold Coast is better because of the parks, trees and gardens
which provides a more suitable environment for living. Trees are able to provide greener,
happier and healthier cities as there are various benefits in terms of the environment as well
as people. The benefits that are achieved from trees are mentioned as below:
Climatic conditions
 Attracting rainfall and cooling down the city by 2 to 8 degree Celsius.
 Absorption of greenhouse gases and creating a pleasant micro-climate.
Health and Wellbeing
 Connection between people and nature (Goldcoast.qld.gov.au 2019).
 Decrease in stress and encouragement of outdoor activities.
Wealth
 Increase in property value by 20 – 30%.
 Savings in energy consumption.
 Improvements in the quality of air.
Ecology

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 Provide elegant look and feel to the landscape.
 Provide food and shelter for the natural wildlife.
 Interception of water along with improvements in water quality and reduction
in soil erosion.
Hence, the city has implemented natural city strategy for bushland restoration, South
East Queensland (SEQ) Ecological Restoration Framework, Community partnership and
education as well as Landholder partnerships. The strategies being undertaken by the city
helps to ensure that there is availability of trees for sustainable living.
Minimization of wastes
The impact on the environment could be reduced through minimization of wastes that
are being created and thrown along with increasing the use of recycled items. The City is
spreading awareness among the residents so that the creation of wastes could be prevented in
the first place. The City Council has suggested the residents to avoid junk mails, receiving
catalogues and phone directories rather using online services for accessing the required
documents. The catalogues can be viewed online and delivery of the phone books should be
cancelled so that the junk materials could be reduced and there is reduction is wastage. The
kitchen and garden waste could be turned into compost instead of binning and recycling of
items. The products with less packaging should be preferred rather than using items with high
packaging materials as those are sources of waste (Warnken and Mosadeghi 2018). The City
Council is also motivating the people to use recycled materials rather than disposable items.
There is a network called “Gold Coast Freecycle Network” which is a network of almost 8
million members throughout the world. The network helps to keep the non-disposable or
unwanted materials from the landfill. There are also various local charitable organizations
that sells second hand clothes and reusable items so that there could be reduction in wastes.

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Sustainable water
Water saving is one of the major concerns of the community so that water could be
conserved for the future and there is sustainable living. The City follows Permanent water
conservation measures and the water users are being encouraged to adopt water efficient
behaviours. A brochure containing practical information has been developed by the City
Council to provide water saving tips for the users so that they become aware of the
procedures for saving water in home or garden.
The City Council has also designed and implemented rainwater tanks so that drinking
water supply could be conserved efficiently for homes as well as businesses. The
Government of Queensland has also introduced target of saving water for the applications
lodged for construction of new houses effectively from January 1, 2007. The permission to
develop individual rainwater tanks has also been approved by the City Council however, it is
mandatory that those are being built according to specifications of the State and Local
Government. A water conservation program has been developed by the City of Gold Coast in
collaboration with Stockland Corporation. The City Council also follows a strategy of
reading water meters once in every three months. If there is sudden increase in water
consumption then householders are being issued with letters to check and resolve the issue.
An extensive Watersaver program is also introduced in the schools so that the students could
work towards a sustainable water future.
Sustainable transport
In the City of Gold Coast, almost 2.6 million trips are being made daily and there is
high dependence on motor vehicles. The number of trips being made is supposed to increase
by 44% within the year 2011 to 2031. The City has developed Gold Coast City Transport
Strategy 2031 which aims at reducing the dependency on car by increasing the other means

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of transport. The City has decided that there will be Council Cab service provided which will
ensure door to door transport for the eligible residents of the city. Apart from that there will
be development of the cycling and pedestrian networks to ensure sustainable transport for
residents of the city (Warren and Becken 2017). The public transport facilities will be
enhanced and there will frequent transport available for the citizens.
Sustainable building and renovation
The development of sustainable housing is essential to ensure that the environment
can be preserved and the lifestyle can be protected for the future. Sustainable homes are
developed such that those are energy and water efficient along with maintains the safety and
security requirements. The materials being used for construction are environment friendly
and there is installation of energy efficient electrical equipment. The water efficiency is also
increased in sustainable buildings by installing rainwater tank. The houses are built such that
power points are well located and there is energy monitoring system installed to check the
consumption of the energy (Assadourian 2016). The City Council also focuses on use of
recycled materials wherever possible so that there is maximum energy efficiency. Bamboo
flooring is being used in construction as it is environment friendly as well as low toxic or
eco-friendly paints are being used to reduce the toxicity so that there is less impact on the
environment.
Conclusion
From the overall discussions, it can be concluded that the implementation of
sustainable engineering management practices helps to ensure sustainable living. The
lifestyle of the residents in City of Gold Coast can be changed with the healthy habits of the
reducing wastage of water and electricity. The present measures or strategies being
implemented in the city is helping them to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the future.

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The awareness about sustainable practices is being spread across residents of the city. The
sustainable engineering management practice being presently used by the City are not utilized
or followed to the full extent so there is some gap while ensuring sustainability. The
implementation of sustainable practices has been already started in the city however it has to
be done effectively as it has a great potential to ensure a sustainable future.
Future Directions
The implementation of sustainable engineering management practices has already
started however there is some gap due to lack of awareness among residents of the city. The
sustainable practices should be followed to the full extent so that sustainable future can be
ensured. The residents of the city also have to take active participation in the transformation
towards sustainability. The city council have to integrate the sustainable practices in every
sector so that the people could achieve desired benefits alongside maintaining sustainable
future.