New Delfin development boosts environmental strategies in Varsity Lakes.

(By Alisa Hathaway - Bond University Journalism Student)

With construction of the new Delfin development at South Bay underway, interest in sustainability has contributed to increased environmental initiatives.

Delfin production manager Joel Salmon said the company tried to keep their environmental impact low during construction.

“Delfin practises high-density housing development to reduce urban sprawl,” Mr Salmon said.

This means the company uses less land to provide more homes for more potential residents, he said.

The smallest units available in the new project are only five metres wide.
Delfin also practised water-sensitive urban design, including walkways built level with roads so when it rained, water washed off the road and on to the grass where vegetation and turf act as natural filters, Mr Salmon said.

Delfin had begun harvesting storm-water using expensive underground storage devices which hold up to 200 litres, he said.

These devices were normally installed underneath parks, Mr Salmon said.

Delfin monitors water quality in all their recent development sites, using equipment from low-tech pollutant trap nets to $100,000 underground equipment, he said.

Mr Salmon said Gold Coast City Council required Delfin to report on water quality monthly to make sure water flowing out of the development area was as clean as the water flowing into it.

“After a big rainfall, residents see the lake go brown and then go clean again, which means it’s healthy,” Mr Salmon said.

Lake Orr and Lake Azurra are saltwater tidal lakes and they essentially clean themselves, he said.

Delfin has also installed tree boxes in nearby wetlands for local wildlife.