As an event organiser, ensuring you offer a comfortable experience for visitors, whilst limiting the impact on the environment is becoming increasingly important.

By choosing to host your event at Melbourne Showgrounds, you will have access to a number of eco-friendly facilities and services to help minimise environmental impact.

As venue operators for Melbourne Showgrounds and managers of Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, the Melbourne Royal Show, Melbourne Royal has the knowledge and experience to help you deliver a truly sustainable event. In 2017, Melbourne Royal was the proud winner of the City of Melbourne’s Melbourne Award for Environmental Sustainability, in recognising Melbourne Royal's dedication to offering environmentally sustainable facilities, services and events. 

With access to eco-friendly facilities, sustainability-focussed service providers and invaluable knowledge on environmentally-conscious business practices, Melbourne Showgrounds is the ideal location for your next ‘green’ event.

Reduced Energy Consumption and Sustainable Resources

• Engaged independent consultants to conduct venue energy audit
• 100kW solar array installed on the Melbourne Royal Administration building in 2014- saving over 172 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year
• Replacement of high energy outdoor lighting with longer life energy saving LEDs across Melbourne Showgrounds
• Motion sensors and automatic power-saving lighting in bathroom facilities, eliminating energy use when buildings not in use
• Skylights installed in buildings to reduce need for powered lighting during daylight hours
• Installation and use of energy efficient hand dryers, and elimination of disposable hand towels to seven toilet locations across the site
• Installation of energy efficient heating and cooling systems in many buildings across the site
• Installation of energy efficient LED lighting in all Showgrounds buildings and pavilions
• Installation of light sensors in amenities that operate on movement or noise

Waste Management and Recycling

• 72% of all waste from the Melbourne Royal Show recycled (2013 and 2015 Waste stream volumes)
• 100% of all Melbourne Royal Show animal bedding waste collected by specialist contractors and recycled as garden mulch and compost
• Introduction of three waste stream bins across the venue (red-waste, yellow- recycling, green-organics)
• Green Catering information kit distributed to all caterers onsite to encourage minimal packaging on food items and use of recyclable products
• Daily bin audits to ensure all caterers are correctly distributing waste
• Waste and recycling testing included in venue induction
• Reduced volume of PET bottles from 2014
• Introduced access to paperless ticketing for Melbourne Royal Show

Water catchment and reduced use

• Two large portable water stations to provide event patrons with free drinking water
• Installation of underground water bladder with capacity to capture 300,000 litres of rainwater
• Plantation of native and drought tolerant plant species throughout the site to reduce the need for garden irrigation
• Toilets flushed using water collected from installed large stormwater tanks
• Wetting agents (in granular form) used during replanting process to effectively absorb water into soil, reducing the amount of water required

Public transport

• Partnerships with services and ticket incentives to encourage use of public transport to events, resulting in 40% of all Melbourne Royal Show patrons arriving by train or tram.

To discuss your event requirements including environmental sustainability, contact us here.