lightS up - Townsville City Council

goinggreenSUSTAINABILITYSAVE ENERGY THIS SUMMERYou can save money and reduce your impacton the environment by following these handyenergy saving tips.Cooling your home» Keep your air conditioner on 25°C duringsummer. A change of 1°C cooler means a costincrease of 10 per cent!» Shade windows with blinds, shade sails andtrees.» Maximise on natural cooling by opening doorsand windows on cooler days.» Regularly clean or replace your air conditionerfilter.Fridges» Check your fridge seals by placing a piece ofpaper between the seal and the fridge door. Ifthe paper slides out easily, your sealsprobably need replacing.» Defrost your freezer regularly. When ice buildsup, your freezer uses more electricity.Power that stands by doing nothingStandby power contributes to around 11 percent of Australian residential electricity use.Switching the power off at the wall when not inuse can reduce your energy bill by up to $100annually.» Switch your hot water system off if you goaway.» Buy a ‘switched’ power board so you can turnoff individual appliances when not in use.» Switch televisions off at the wall instead ofusing the remote. The little red light means itis still consuming power.Swimming pool pumpsSwimming pool pumps can significantlyincrease the cost of your electricity bill insummer.» Switch your pool pump to run on tariffelectricity. This greatly reduces your poolrunning costs.» Consider switching to an energy efficient poolpump.» Stick to running your pool pump for only sixhours a day.For more energy saving ideas, visitwww.townsville.qld.gov.au.Contact CouncilTownsville City CouncilPO Box 1268Townsville QLD 48101300 878 001 from 8am to 5pmwww.townsville.qld.gov.auenquiries@townsville.qld.gov.au103 Walker Street, Townsville City86 Thuringowa Drive, Thuringowa CentralOperating hours 8.30am – 5pmMonday to FridayCouncil Meetings>> 9am Thursday 15 December>> 9am Tuesday 24 January>> 9am Tuesday 28 FebruaryStanding Committee Meetings>> Infrastructure Committee9am Tuesday 6 December9am Tuesday 14 February>> Commercial Business Committee11am Tuesday 6 December11am Tuesday 14 February>> Planning and Economic Development Committee9am Wednesday 7 December9am Wednesday 15 February>> Lifestyle and Community Development Committee9am Thursday 8 December9am Thursday 16 February>> Community Safety and Health Committee11am Thursday 8 December11am Thursday 16 February>> Environment and Sustainability Committee1pm Thursday 8 December1pm Thursday 16 February>> Corporate Governance Committee9.30am Tuesday 13 December9.30am Tuesday 21 FebruaryNew year not celebrated by petsIn true New Year's Eve fashion,the city will bring in 2012 with acelebration and fireworksdisplay.Don’t turn the event into a sad occasion withthe loss of your pet.Fireworks can be a cause of great distress forthe family pet and responsible pet owners shouldtake steps to ensure their pets are safe,comfortable and secure during fireworks displays.Dogs may be particularly afraid of fireworks,but a fear of them can also affect cats, birds andother pets.The most common problem during New Year'sEve celebrations is animals running away orinjuring themselves out of fear. A few precautionscan help lessen the distress to your pet.>> Take them for a walk and feed them a solidmeal prior to the fireworks display, this mayhelp reduce anxiety.>> Encourage calm behaviour by distracting them.>> Remain cheerful and in control to demonstratethat nothing is wrong.>> Ensure all pets are securely tied up or keptinside the house or yard. Block potential exitsand provide toys or other distractions.>> Make sure your dog or cat is registered and canbe identified in the event of an escape. A tagwith your phone number can mean a fasterreturn if your pet becomes lost.Don’t spend the new year searching for your lostpet, prepare yourself ahead of time. Ensure yourpet is registered with council and microchippedand keep them safe this festive season.Similarly, thunderstorms can be a cause ofstress to animals, so prepare yourself now.thinking of a puppy or kitten as agift this christmas?Remember>> Pets are a long-term commitment.>> Pets cost money for vaccinations,desexing, food, worming, registration andmircrochipping.>> Pets need lots of love and attention.>> Most pets, particularly dogs, requireobedience training and daily exercise.>> Pets need an adequate and secure outdoorarea to play.While pets bring lots of enjoyment to peopleslives they are a big responsibility.10 townsville city council city update >> december 2011