• BWEP funding $220,000
• Water savings 30 million litres a year

Background

Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) is a Queensland government-owned corporation that operates as a fully commercial organisation.

With more than $50 billion in funds invested, QIC is one of Australia’s largest institutional fund managers.
QIC’s portfolio includes the Central Plaza Complex in Brisbane’s Central Business District. The complex includes the 48 storey Central Plaza 1 and the 30 storey Central Plaza 2 buildings.

QIC has implemented a number of water saving projects within the Central Plaza Complex as part of its commitment to achieving best practice water management. This commitment includes a sustainable capital works program in addition to support for proactive initiatives by tenants.

Water saving projects

In line with QIC’s Environmental Policy, the Central Plaza Complex has completed several projects to implement best practice systems. These include:

• Replacement of air conditioner cooling towers with more efficient units
• Installation of rainwater tanks on roof tops
• Insulation and reheating system for hot water
• Aerators in tap spouts, flick master taps
• Setting maximum flush cycles and installing sensor activated urinals
• Dual flush toilet suites
• Water saving showerheads
• Automatic shower timer shutoffs
• Water saving signage and information for tenants.

The Central Plaza Complex also has a Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP) in place, which includes:

• WEMP compliant cooling towers, operating at a minimum of five cycles of concentration
• WEMP compliant tapware and showerheads, operating at a maximum flow rate of nine litres per minute
• Updated Building Fit Out Guidelines, incorporating best practice water saving measures, such as water meters in all new fit outs and installation of WELS standard fittings in new fit outs.

Water saving achievements

QIC’s initiatives have achieved the following annual water savings:

• Rainwater tanks supplement each building’s cooling tower water and provide an estimated total saving to the complex of more than 10 million litres
• Water efficient urinals deliver a total saving of more than 2 million litres
• Dual flush toilet suites deliver a total saving of more than 17 million litres.

In addition to these water savings, QIC plans to investigate options for:

• Recycling building sump water
• Installing holding tanks to collect storm water
• More efficient hot water systems.

To date, QIC has achieved total annual water savings of nearly 30 million litres with funding support from the Business Water Efficiency Program.