"'Middlebrook Community Centre' is a shared-title property running since 1972. With over 30 members currently involved, even though there are only five permanent houses. The property is bordered on three sides by Wooroonooran National Park, one of the largest tracts of world heritage rainforest in the world. We are focused on more sustainable living, with the local fauna and flora, the dense biodiversity, the pristine wilderness and rivers, as the 'Champion' reason we protect this 260-acre Land.

I had started to build a climbing wall as a meeting point for the members, a physical activity for the children, and as a project of unification that can be utilised, whatever the weather, here at Middlebrook in early 2024. We received 7m of rain last year, so one can imagine that having undercover activities is important for positive mental health, and physical recreation.

When we were 'bumping out' of 'Aussie Shore S1', it became apparent to me that there was going to be a lot of waste material that was unfeasible to store by our host company, considering the set-build would be different, and unknown for the upcoming season.

I liaised with the Construction Manager, Art Director and Production Director, and it was decided that it would be feasible to save some of the waste material from the skip. I brought a 9m triple-axle trailer to site, and we saved some of the decent raw materials from the deconstruction process, where I then transported it after hours to our Community Centre.

Several months later I managed to donate my time, and those salvaged materials, to help realise the dream that had been started months before, of creating the climbing wall.  Fast forward to now, and the wall is in use, receiving visitors and members from the local community regularly. Whilst being built in a not-for-profit venue, the capital loss of those recycled materials becomes the community gain, bringing families, children and many other people together in a healthy activity.

With decades of experience in the industrial, commercial, entertainment and residential construction industry, I have witnessed the large-scale waste that occurs. As a builder, the storage and transportation of waste material is a real concern for all sites. Waste management adds major costs to construction, the physical space and capital costs involved in transportation and recycling are crippling, as well as the obvious environmental impact concerns.  

After working abroad for over a decade, dedicated and focused on Sustainable Living, I became acutely aware of the positive potential there is for the Planet by simply raising awareness of a more sustainable approach to modern society. Whilst studying and working for five years in South America, I focused on the 'pillars of life': house construction and home climate control through architectural design and sustainable material use, food production, education, medicine and cultural practice. I began to see solutions everywhere I turned my attention.

Choosing to become a member of 'Middlebrook Community' is one of the outcomes of these experiences I've had. Employing sustainable practice in my design and construction work within the industry has also become a major part of my focus and passion, and an outlet to sharing the knowledge I gained.  

I continue to work as a consultant in design and construction, and am an advocate for ecological practice in construction, as well as a facilitator of workshops and educational forums within the industry and maintain my business in construction."

Words by Carleton Vaux

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