First Australian hotel or resort to become signatory to the UN’s Global Compact
Located within world heritage-listed Lamington National Park Gondwana rainforest, Griffith’s partnership with Binna Burra Lodge unfolded during a time of rebuild – the original 1933 heritage buildings were lost in devastating bushfire late 2019.
As one of Australia’s first nature-based resorts, even before the unprecedented bushfire, Binna Burra was committed to sustainability and worked closely with Griffith. Binna Burra Lodge was the first Australian hotel or resort to become signatory to the UN’s Global Compact, a framework for corporations to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is committed to advancing sustainable development through comprehensive initiatives that promote economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and good governance for all.
In early 2020, Griffith University signed a memorandum of understanding with the leading historic environmental tourism operator as its ‘lead university’ partner. As lead university partner, Griffith University is committed to support Binna Burra Lodge’s rebuild and recovery as an innovative Queensland ecotourism provider, and a business that’s resilient and adaptable in the face of increasingly severe weather events.
Griffith University is well-placed to provide this support as Australia’s leading tourism university in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects and QS World Rankings and having recently announced the Griffith Climate Action Beacon.
To date, the partnership has delivered many research and learning outcomes, including PhD student projects, across areas spanning tourism, adaptation, environment and architecture. Just some of the research to date has included rainforest fire response and firefighting chemicals’ impact on frogs.
Other key projects to date include:
Associate Professor Sarah Gardiner from the Griffith Institute from Tourism (GIFT) has published a case study research paper that aims to inform government and industry about disaster management and recovery strategies for tourism operators.
In 2021, third year architecture students can concept design and author a feasibility study that takes into account fire preparedness and other disaster and sustainability considerations for the planned building reconstruction works.
A multidisciplinary team of Griffith sustainable tourism, design and environment experts, together with Binna Burra Lodge, Mount Barney Lodge and Scenic Rim Regional Council have collected bushfire stories for a traveling exhibition, The Bushfire Pavilion.
Dr Margarida Abreu Novais from GIFT was one of those involved in The Bushfire Pavilion project and exhibition, which aims to strengthen community resilience.
“With this pavilion, we’ve created this place for reflection,” Dr Abrey Novais said.
“This is not an exhibition about the suffering, but about how the community and how the local stakeholders emerged from the disaster,” she said.
“People can come to reflect about the impact of natural disasters and how we can become more resilient.”
Professor Karine Dupre is a registered architect and an executive member of GIFT who led The Bushfire Pavilion project.
“When we have this partnership, we bring an expertise, a know how, in terms of disaster recovery,” Professor Dupre said.
“This is where we can step in and we can help,” she said.
“Our partnerships should be long term and this is how we will make things sustainable."
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