About Us - Sustainability

Throughout our 95-year history, we have prided ourselves on being part of the community of Brisbane's inner-north, not just a feature of the local landscape. For that reason, we take the whole conversation about green issues very seriously. The green issue is not just for "tree-huggers" anymore, and has grown to encompass the whole issue of sustainability. As a family-owned business, the executive team at Bretts is heavily invested in the idea of building a sustainable business. At Bretts we promote sustainability in two different ways: through Community and through the Environment. And this year I am particularly pleased to support Planet Ark's National Tree Day as our key sponsorship opportunity, as it encompasses both pillars of our sustainability efforts. We are committed to developing genuine relationships with local community groups and aim to have a positive impact on the broader community. So, if your school or community group is participating in National Tree Day, I would encourage you to apply for the Bretts "Green- Pack" gardening kits we are donating to groups on Brisbane's northside. Bill Nutting Jnr, Bretts Managing Director

National Tree Day Q&A We are participating in national tree day - how can Bretts support our group? Bretts is pleased to donate "Green-Pack" garden kits for those schools and community groups on Brisbane's northside who are participating in National Tree Day. The "Green-Pack" garden kits include items such as: wheel barrow shovel trowel digging fork digging shovel gardening gloves stakes mulch or bark We are participating in national tree day - how do we apply for a "green-pack" donation? It's easy to apply for one of the Bretts sponsorship packs. Just log on to the Planet Ark National Tree Day website and go to shared resources pages at http://treeday.planetark.com/coords/resources.cfm Alternatively, email community@bretts.com.au with your event details. We would like to participate but don't know much about national tree day - where can we find out more? For more information check out the Planet Ark National Tree Day website at http://treeday.planetark.com/    To download a copy of a PDF flier on Bretts' sponsorship of National Tree Day click here

Let's talk community

As a business that's been operating in Brisbane since 1913, Bretts understands the value of building solid and lasting relationships with the people who operate in our local community. And we aim to have a positive impact on the broader community.
We like to contribute in different ways, including providing donations and in-kind support, and contributing to programs that deliver targeted social benefits. However, underpinning our community efforts programme is a sponsorship portfolio that focuses on providing regular support to local schools and other community groups in our own neighbourhood.

Let's talk environment

Thanks to climate change, green building is firmly on the agenda. While some say that greener building practices are being driven by regulations rather than consumers, other studies show that demand is building amongst consumers. And this demand for more sustainable solutions will increase as more "Generation Y's" enter the housing market.
So is there an economic benefit to designing and building greener homes? Recent research says there is, with one US study of home builders finding that, nationwide, over 80 percent of home-seekers prefer to buy homes that incorporate sustainable or energy-efficient features. And of those buyers, half are willing to pay between 11 - 25 percent more for environmentally friendly homes. (Source: "Green House Effect" Can Boost Sales Price for Home Sellers, Building Online, 7 March 2007).
The various state energy efficiency and building rating systems have been under the microscope over the past two years. In March 2006 it became law in Queensland for new houses to be more sustainable by ensuring they use water and energy more efficiently. The desired result is that new houses will use 33 percent less electricity and up to 36 percent less water. And further changes in regulations and tougher restrictions are likely to follow.

We may not have all the answers, but we do know that offering a more sustainable solution provides us with an array of opportunities to build better homes and help the environment at the same time. And that's something we're always happy to talk about!

For our part, we are pleased to announce that Bretts recently received Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) chain of custody (CoC) approval for product from the Bretts Inglewood Cypress Sawmill. The AFS ensures that trees are only selected under very strict guidelines and removed from the bush in a manner that is least impactful to the remaining flora and fauna. Bretts is now only the second Cypress mill in the world to achieve this certification!