In this episode of Food Waste Matters, we head to the stunning tropical city of Cairns, home to the Great Barrier Reef and the lush wet tropics rainforest. Our guest, Dan Walton, shares insights into Cairns Eco Fiesta—Queensland’s largest sustainability festival—and how it's driving real change in the community.
Key Topics Discussed:
What is Cairns Eco Fiesta?
A free community festival focused on sustainability, running for 10years.
Features hands-on workshops, clean technology displays, local food, and interactive family activities.
Sustainability Initiatives & Waste Reduction
Mainstreaming Sustainability ("Mainstreaming Green")
Cairns Council & Regional Collaboration
What’s Next for Eco Fiesta?
Final Takeaways:
Cairns Eco Fiesta proves that sustainability can be engaging,educational, and fun. By prioritising waste avoidance and community participation, it sets a benchmark for eco-conscious events.
As always, if you have questions, feedback, or a storyabout how you’re reducing food waste, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us an email at foodwastematters@honeyandfox.com.au.
About Dan Walton:
Dan is a sustainability officer at Cairns RegionalCouncil. Raised on an off-grid farm in Far North Queensland, Dan has over 20 years experience in local government sustainability and cut his teeth at Tweed Shire Council in Northern NSW. While at Tweed he put the implemented the in the council’s Health Safety and Environment System and ran community programs such as the Tweed Solar Neighbourhood Scheme, household retrofit programs and catchment management education. More recently his work at Cairns Regional Council has included the creation of a Nature-based Learning Grant to help get more school students on excursions to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest and Cairns Ecofiesta, Council’s main community engagement event around all things sustainable.
Links
https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/experience-cairns/events/ecofiesta
https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/486754/CRC-Wash-Against-Waste.pdf
https://www.honeyandfox.com.au/
https://thegreatunwaste.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/honey_and_fox/
https://www.instagram.com/foodwastematters_podcast/
https://www.instagram.com/endfoodwasteaus/
https://www.instagram.com/thegreatunwaste/
https://www.facebook.com/EcoEventsCairns/
https://www.facebook.com/HoneyandFox/
https://www.facebook.com/EndFoodWasteAus/
https://www.facebook.com/thegreatunwaste/