SALA Homes Newsletter

August 2007

SALA has sprung into Spring, albeit a few weeks early!. We're busy bees with sustainable housing projects in Brisbane , Sunshine Coast , Gold Coast, Gladstone, Bombala (NSW), Blackbutt, Mt Glorious, Cairns (pictured right), Cooktown and lots of other places all underway in some way, shape or form.

News

Customer Blogs

A number of our customers have created blogs and websites documenting the construction of their home. These provide an, often amusing, first hand account of the process of building a SALA home (warts and all!). To visit some of these sites click here

Green Teams!

Being such a hive of activity, SALA is now forming alliances with other likeminded companies and setting up “Green Teams” across Australia including in Western Australia and North Queensland. Watch this space!

Due to our new “Green Teams” and all of the projects we have on the boil we are obviously entering a growth phase. As a result we are now looking to employ like minded people for the following positions:

Design Manager/Project Manager;
Project Manager; and
Accounts Manager/ Bookkeeper.

For more information on these positions click here.

Speaking of growth Nigel Chilton has recently joined our team as our Construction Manager (a newly created position). Nige is in charge of construction, builder supervision, research and product development. Welcome to the team Nige!

(pictured right: Only Charlie (sitting) really knows what Nig was doing here...but we're sure he was working!!)

Mike's going on holidays (and will do a little bit of work)

Our Sales Manager, Mike Duggan, is taking a well earned break and will be in Europe and North America throughout September and October. It will not be all holiday for Mike….he will be visiting places like Findhorn and BedZed in the UK and will also present to a high level delegation in Canada on the concept of sustainable kit homes.

If you are looking for Mike while he is away please contact the SALA office and one of the other Sales Agents will be only too happy to help you out.

Masonite – a smarter alternative

SALA strives to supply locally grown plantation timber for all of our homes, however one area where we haven't been able to find an appropriate products is for bracing timber frames. Normally ply is used, but as far as we can tell no Australian ply manufacturer produces a sustainably grown Australian ply bracing product - it is all sourced from imported rainforest trees. Click here to read about the cost effective alternative to ply bracing

Sustainability Poll – Help Us Help You!

We're asking you to help us create a snapshot of the sustainable housing buyer.

The information gathered will obviously help SALA but might also help some of the other 3,000+ readers of this newsletter. The poll is just a few basic questions about your understanding and expectations of sustainable housing. We will then collate this information and distribute it back to you in the next newsletter.

The information that you supply is non-identifiable, with your email address only being used to verify that you are a valid newsletter recipient. If you would like to participate in this first poll please click here.

GreenSmart Professional!

Congratulations to several of the SALA team who have completed the HIA GreenSmart Professional course in the last few months. This two day workshop is specifically designed to equip participants with all the skills needed for designing, building and selling environmentally sustainable housing. Completing the course registers the individuals on the HIA GreenSmart professional database.

Friends Of SALA

Biome (meaning: an inter-connected ecological community of plants and animals that exists in harmony in a certain geographical and climatic zone) is a wonderful little shop in La Trobe terrace, Paddington with an amazing array of green products. Founder Tracey Bailey prefers local products to save resources in transportation and takes the claim of organic very seriously. With a very stylish online shop also, Biome sells an eclectic range including books, beauty products, linen, tableware, household cleaning products and a very adorable children's educational range. Rarely do you see a retail outlet so very very dedicated.

With a new shop opening in Adelaide Street , Brisbane this month finding a green gift with a difference is about to get a whole lot easier…..visit Biome at www.biome.com.au

Scott is on the Train again...

Scott has once again hit the train tracks visiting a customer in a recently completed SALA house in NSW while on a trip to Sydney. Paul Appleton is a rural doctor servicing a large area in the NSW country town of Bellbrook (just inland from Kempsey). Together with his wife Vivian, 6 children of their own and often 2 or more foster children in their care, they lived in the old Bellbrook Post Office where they established and ran the town's surgery for many years.....

Click here for the rest of the Appleton's story.

Coming Events

SALA's support for walk against warming.

Brisbane - Queens Gardens (George Street , next to the Casino) Saturday 25th of August at 12.30pm.

SALA staff will join thousands of Australians Walking Against Warming in cities and towns right across the country for Australia 's largest community day of action on climate change. SALA will exhibit at the end destination of the walk at The Riverstage in the City's Botanic Gardens from 1 pm. More information

Climate Change Down Under Seminar

Saturday 1 September 2007, 10am - 3.15pm, Registration from 9.30am

A lively debate is guaranteed as a wide range of experts give original and 'big picture' views on climate change in Queensland . This is a FREE event. More information . Global warming is upon us, but has there been anything like this before? What can we learn from Queensland 's ancient and recent past? What can we do?

Be Green

Kurrajong Village NSW - Saturday September 1 from 9am- 3pm

SALA Sales Agent Wendy Kropf will be speaking at the Sustainability Fete on how to build a sustainable home. A day full of exhibitors and workshops displaying sustainability, solar power, water recycling, eco homes and green living for the 21st century. Come and visit the SALA Stand. More information

House tours

Greenbank, Brisbane - 2:00pm on the 3rd Sunday of every month (next one this Sunday the 19 th August)

SALA offers a comprehensive sustainable house tour at The Green at Greenbank. This tour focuses on the products, systems and unique features of our range of energy, water and resource efficient SALA Homes. More information.

Click here to read previous newsletters