Why Apartment Dwellers Need Indoor Plants

Image: Girl leaning on open window drawing outdoor greenery to the indoors
Photo: Fickr Alexandra-Cohen

Apartment – The number of Australians living in high-rise apartments doubled between 1991 and 2011and that trend has continued since then. The quarter-acre dream is fast disappearing and larger blocks and family gardens along with it. As more people move from country areas to the city and as land to build homes near the city centre becomes scarce, we’re getting further and further away from nature. It turns out this isn’t great for our health.

The change in urban environments because of development, associated with a rapid increase in chronic disease, is a global phenomenon in developed countries. In the past children grew up running on bare soil and grass, explored backyard farms and gardens, climbed trees and were exposed to a high level of bacteria. And the diversity of the bacteria can change if an individual is exposed to different environmental conditions.

One of these conditions is living in a high-rise apartment far away from land, soil, trees and plants. Being close to nature is linked to positive mental well-being – and people living in urban areas have been shown to have a disadvantage in processing stress. This can be at least partially attributed to increased exposure to air pollution and heat stress, and decrease in exercise and fitness through lack of access to a garden or nearby park.

The less exposure to nature we have, the less diverse the bacteria in our microbiota. The microbiota is the community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in our gut and on our skin. We need a diverse exposure for our body to fight inflammation effectively.

Alteration in the human bacterial communities, including the disappearance of ancient microbiotic species, is thought to cause inflammation in the body. These ancient species were known to encourage development of cells that regulate the immune system (T-cells). When our immune system stays on high alert all the time, instead of resting when no threats are present, this causes inflammation, which can lead to chronic disease.

Where plants come in

The bacteria we have are similar to those of plants in that we both carry trillions of good and bad bacteria. The diversity of the microbiota is measured by how many families of bacteria are present. We know the diverse plant microbiome influences plant growth, and humans benefit by eating plant foods. An important research question remains: do we gain another benefit simply by having contact with plants?

Plants also remove volatile compounds from the air including ozone and carbon dioxide. They turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen, meaning air quality is drastically improved. Higher oxygen levels inside a small apartment mean well-being may be improved for the occupants. Viewing plants reduces stress and is pleasing to the human eye.

Nature therapy (shinrin-yoku), first invented in Japan, has proven beneficial for our health by lowering blood pressure and boosting mental health. This is done by simply going for a mindful walk in the forest.

It has also been established that plants confer positive changes in the brain’s electrical activity, muscle tension and heart activity.

Some plants that are beneficial in the home

Peace Lily: if this plant is placed in the hallway it will reduce many toxins such as benzene, ammonia, acetone and ethyl and will prevent toxins from spreading between rooms in the apartment.

Image: Peaceful Lilly Photo: Peace Lily. H is for Hom/Flickr, CC BY

Aloe vera and Mother-in-Law’s Tongue: these plants placed in the bedroom emit oxygen, which improves sleep quality.

Image: Mother-in-laws tongue Photo: Mark Solarski/Unsplash, CC BY

Gerbera Daisy: if placed in the laundry these plants remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air, which are in common household detergents.

Image: Gerbera daisies. Photo: Marcia O’Connor/Flickr, CC BY

Devil’s Ivy (Golden Pothos): this plant can be placed in low light and cool temperatures such as an air-conditioned office or an outdoor garage. It will remove ozone, which is found in car exhaust fumes.

Image: Devil’s Ivy. Photo: DianesDigitals/Flickr, CC BY

How about plants outside apartment buildings?

Outdoor plants such as trees and shrubs help to shade our buildings and streets, cooling our concrete jungles. They also help with water runoff, preventing flooding and nutrient dispersal. Suburbs with more canopy cover have a perceived higher quality of living and attract better property prices.

Outdoor plants and soil have an abundance of ecological communities compared to indoor environments, a higher diversity of microbes, and therefore increase the numbers of insects, birds and other fauna. Viewing and being among large parks and green areas has been shown to improve the mental and physical well-being of people living in urban areas.

With backyards becoming increasingly rare, diversity is decreasing in urban areas. In response, the City of Toronto has written into local law that all new buildings must have green roofs that include vegetation, drainage, waterproofing and slope stability. The reasoning for the law was that green roofs provide:

energy savings from better solar reflectivity, evapotranspiration and insulation, green roofs last up to twice as long as regular roofs, and green roofs can beautify and add value to Toronto’s buildings by providing scenic views and recreational areas in dense urban areas.

A similarly bold strategy here would benefit not only the health of our apartment dwellers, but also the environment.

Author:  Danica-Lea Larcombe PhD Candidate in Biodiversity and Human Health, Edith Cowan University from

Further reading:

Idalia – Top Price Property Winner of the Week – 15 Edgewater Terrace – $1 Million

First home buyers grant “pitted” by the Queensland Treasurer

Townsville sold out by PM Turnbull Smart City Deal

Guide to selling a luxury home

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'Keep your kids out...abuse will offend" - Land owner red tape, white papers and green banners put Townsville economy "at risk"

Image: Sign erected in Harvey Range area in Charters Towers 

Lay of the Land

Rural land owners remain uncooperative and the federal government’s innovation policy being deployed as part of the Townsville City Deal is still immature and conservative in its industrial scope, while the Green minority fundamentalist movement is seeking the destruction of capitalism and carbon-based industries in Townsville North Queensland.

Townsville North Queensland is having to battle tooth and nail to realise the ambitious goal of becoming “the place to invest” in Queensland.

As the climate change union and socialist green power converge in coalition to fight the existing establishments of political power, Townsville Mayor Cr. Jenny Hill is saying Townsville is ‘open for business.’

But in Townsville, the “guard dogs and the galahs” are bailing up the postman at the city gates and the farmers in Charter Towers are warning parents with kids “keep out” or “my abuse could offend”.

Nevertheless, the message of hope is getting through; causing business confidence to increase and the predicted property spruikers to bait the hook.

The early adopters are recruiting staff as job advertisements have jumped by 48% on latest reports.

Still, the materials of industry are being challenged at the producers’ gate while the fruit of Northern Australia’s natural resources are again being abandoned in a protracted climate change storm.

But the questions on many property investors lips are directed towards the uncertainties. And the biggest threat to Townsville sustained property growth is this – Is the activist’s actions against industry seasonal or is it the new universal state of doing business in North Queensland?

The minority fundamentalists’ actions could strike a gaping wound however to the faculties of hope, desire and goodwill in the eyes of the Adani Carmichael coal mine, Magnus Resources Battery Gigafactory, and the Singapore Army training area, all of which are depending on billions in capital backing and land supply.

With respect to the largest industrial projects, what could Townsville be risking in economic terms?

These three projects alone are the largest private and non-government investments amongst many investments occurring in North Queensland. Townsville residents are overwhelmingly positive about the impact. But the go-ahead of part or all of the projects is subject to fringe groups individual rights, extreme ideology and the political agenda of disruptive alliances.

Scope of projects

The industries being touted as the next golden age for industry and economics in Townsville are major contributors to the expected drive for population growth over 200,000 in the next few years.

Multiple billions of dollars in defense training, mining and manufacturing contracts make the stakes for the economy, political leadership and industry very high indeed. The collective investment by these companies is over $25 billion with a potential life span of over 50 years.

Adani Carmichael coal mine

The Adani project is expected to bring into the Queensland economy $16.5 billion for the coal mine and $2 billion for the rail line construction to connect the mine from the Galilee Basin to Abbott Point near Bowen, generating an estimated 10,000 jobs over the life of the mine.

Adani says the jobs will be 4000 to build the mine, 3000 to build the rail line while 1400 are expected to work in the mine on an ongoing basis.

The Australian company headquarters has already been announced in the Telstra building in Townsville. The company has already placed advertisements calling for jobs for the Townsville office. The estimated number of jobs Adani proposes to employee in the Townsville office are approximately 500 in total.

Initially, 200 jobs are being created. Jobs have also been advertised in Rockhampton, at the mine site and Abbott Point port at Bowen. Senior investment jobs have been called in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. The Townsville office will accommodate the remote operations centre as new remote controlled driverless machinery is expected to be used at the mine site.

Adani has already invested $3.3 billion in purchasing the Abbott Point Port. AECOM will employee 70 staff in Townsville to carry out surveying and design of the rail line. The port is located a short distance north of Bowen in the Whitsundays district.

Downer EDI mining has been awarded the largest contract to build and operate the mine in the Galilee Basin. The Melbourne based mining and infrastructure engineering firm is unlikely to impact on the Townsville economy with the $2 billion construction contract as it has an established organisational base in southern capital cities and central Queensland.

Green groups determined to “blockade” the mine site have written directly to the Managing Director of Downer demanding the withdrawal of the Downer relationship with Adani. The Green group warns Downer the “blockade” action will escalate and target shareholders. “Please choose wisely. The world is watching,” the letter concluded.

The fly-in fly-out hub for the mine is yet to be confirmed. Adani has identified Townsville and Rockhampton as the two options so far. With the construction of the mine needing 4000 jobs, it is anticipated that both cities including Mackay will be identified as fly-in fly-out hubs for the sheer volume of people and goods to be transported.

As the mine moves into an operational phase, the fly-in fly-out impact is expected to reduce and one location could be announced as the preferred site. The selection of the operational transport hub will be essential for the ongoing growth of the Townsville economy.

Construction of the mine and employment of the majority workers will be conducted by Downer based in Melbourne. Therefore, the fly-in fly-out headquarters may not be determined by Adani exclusively.

The Indian mining company has placed a loan application for the construction of the rail line with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund for $1 billion. The approval of this loan is yet be finalised.

Other critical funding has not been achieved by Adani. The construction of the mine is unlikely to commence for another 5 years, a major projects pipeline report from BIS Oxford Economics has forecast.

Singapore Army Training Initiative

The Singapore Army Training Initiative is expected to generate $2.2 billion of economic impact in Queensland over 25 years.

A KPMG report identified that $36.2 million will go into the Townsville economy per year after the construction is completed. The report also estimated that $143 million will impact the Townsville economy during the first 7 years of construction.

The construction phase is due to begin in 2019 and finish in 2026 at which time the Singapore military will begin training exercises for the next 25 years.

However, the 23 land owners around the existing Australian Army High Range field training area are yet to negotiate a deal with defence. The economic impact to Townsville will reduce and even diminish to negligible benefits altogether if the Singapore Army is forced to move to another region.

Rockhampton is a competitive option as the Singapore military has based its air force for the past 25 years. Also, if the Shoalwater Bay training area is where defence can secure existing Commonwealth land, the Rockhampton region is likely to receive the lions share of the $2.2 billion economic impact.

The Singapore Army is expected to rotate 2000 to 4000 troops through the training facility over an 18-week period each year for 25 years.

Battery Gigafactory

Magnus Resources and its consortium of United States investors and the Townsville City Council is initially investing $2 billion in the 15Gwa battery storage manufacturing factory generating 2000 jobs in manufacturing and supporting a further 5000 indirect through the global supply chain.

The company reports also that the initial project is just the beginning of plans for the 400-hectare industrial site at Woodstock to expand their operations. Construction of the factory could begin within the next 12 months with the consortium already signing off on the pre-feasibility study. Production is expected to begin by 2020.

The gigafactory relies on graphite supply from the Magnus Resources mine in Tanzania. However, the government of Tanzania has created uncertainty around the company’s capital raising capacity due to the Tanzanian government unexpectedly raising taxes on the miner.

Magnus Resources shares have dropped by half and were suspended from trading on the Australian stock exchange. The Magnus chairman, Mr. Poullas said the tax change would have no impact on the Townsville project.

At a nearby site, an independent investor is building a 142-megawatt solar power facility consisting of 450,000 solar panels. It is being constructed at the Ross River Solar Farm on a mango plantation north of Townsville.

Other projects

The Townsville economy is expected to benefit from $1.5 billion in infrastructure projects in the next 12 months. The stimulus coming from the stadium project, roads, water, rail and port investments is an approximate $1.2 billion more than last year, a BIS Oxford Economist shared with an RDA and Infrastructure Association forum last week in Townsville.

Threats to progress

Although the infrastructure projects are positive to the local economy, the stimulus is short term. “At the moment there is a lot of politics. The policy environment can be very toxic,” Mr. Adrian Hart said.

As land owners in the Charters Towers area dig their heels in on the Singapore Army training deal and Green groups disrupt the progress and delivery of the Adani project by threatening more “blockade” protest action on the ground, even more court action and a massive international public relations campaign, the world’s largest coal mine project and the battery gigafactory still have serious supply hurdles to cross.

Red tape, white papers and green banners are literally suffocating the life out large scale industries in Townsville North Queensland.

The impact on public opinion in Australia from protest groups is significant enough for the Indian energy company to undertake a $1.4 million advertising campaign to counter the Green activists across Australia.

Further reading:

Treasurer sparks free market concerns over Domain Central $6 million revamp

Townsville sold out by PM Turnbull Smart City Deal

Turnbull Trio Caught with smoking gun – Townsville Smart City Deal’s Catastrophic Legacy

Townsville Smart City Deal Exposed as National Security Threat

Guide to selling a luxury home

Guide to 22 knockout marketing tips to sell a home

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Kirwan residents water saving concerns brushed by Council

Image: Water gushing from TCC fire hydrant in Kirwan

Kirwan residents have been told to “leave it alone” by Townsville City Council attempting to turn off a fire hydrant releasing thousands of litres of fresh drinking water in the streets on Sunday morning.

When Council workers were asked by our TREN reporter what is happening as thousands of litres of fresh water was being hosed down the drain through an open fire hydrant, they responded in a short and sharp tone of voice telling residents to “leave it alone”.

In the Council’s own recruitment messages, they are saying that “residents and the community are at the heart of all the Council does as it strives to facilitate sustainable economic development for the region, enhance the quality of life for residents, and identify and unlock the potential of the City.”

Image: TREN footage of water wastage in Kirwan

The TCC said how they propose to achieve its workforce redesign is “through inspired leadership, co-design of services with the community and sustainable and innovative partnering.”

Townsville residents are facing strict level 3 water restrictions with TCC announcing any water usage outside scheduled times and in breach of the water usage policy will be penalised.

The Kirwan incident comes as the 90,000 homeowners across Townsville are paying for pumping water from the Burdekin Dam as the local water storage in Ross Dam is 20 percent full.

With the forthcoming dry winter and spring season in Townsville expected to yield little rainfall, planned and purposeful water wastage by residents and seemingly careless Council officials is a bitter pill to swallow for Kirwan residents on-site of the incident on the Cnr of Frank Street and Bamford Lane Sunday morning.

Hundreds of residents on the Water for Townsville Action Group (WFTAG) Facebook page, with 12,000 subscribers, have responded to the Kirwan incident with many commenting they would have collected the water in buckets and used it on their own gardens.

The WFTAG community raised suggestions for water-saving measures including pumping the water into a water truck or suggesting council water engineers adopt better water saving techniques when carrying out maintenance.

The TCC has come under fire from Council employees and Unions for the 144 redundancies announced as part of a management restructure.

The Labor appointed Townsville water task force has adopted a double pipeline solution and pumping plan from the Burdekin Dam instead of adding capacity to Ross Dam or building extra dam infrastructure in the region.

The council budget for pumping water from the Burdekin pipeline is $7 million per annum while Townsville’s council rates are already the highest in the state.

Mayor Cr. Hill announced recently a confusing discount as part of the council budget to reduce the financial burden of the council rates. TCC cut payments for regular rate payments but penalised residents who pay early by reducing the discount, saving the 90,000 residences $1.5 million per annum.

Water management plans and techniques applied by Townsville City Council bring additional pressure on the local government at a time when only 12 months earlier the Mayor said water infrastructure was not a concern.

The Townsville economy has struggled with large industrial business closures due to mining price reductions and high energy prices.

As a means of stimulating employment, the local government authority has been accused of misdirecting ratepayer resources towards a football stadium, CBD development and an oversupply of residential housing.

Investment in vital water infrastructure, industry and business for sustainable economic growth to create employment opportunities for workers has taken its toll on the community, causing frustration, stress and over 9000 people to abandon the community. The Council’s own employees have been affected also.

Many of the Council’s employees have also been made redundant after the Council adopted the Naus Report which highlighted the toxic and ineffective management at the Townsville Council and 144 positions were redundant to the future vision of the local government authority.

The response by council workers to the concerned Kirwan residents could be a sign of the toxic, stressful and thankless management at the TCC. Workers doing their job on a day set aside for rest and family could explain the short sharp response in the “Leave it alone” tone with residents.

Further reading:

Battery Gigafactory Global Consortium Investigates Financial Viability of Townsville

First home buyers grant “Pitted” by Queensland Treasurer

Guide to selling a luxury home

Guide to 22 knockout marketing tips to sell a home

Recipe Favourite – Chocolate and Caramel Give it a Crack

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What’s the economic value of the Great Barrier Reef? It’s priceless

Image: Turtle and Diver on the Great Barrier Reef.

Deloitte Access Economics has valued the Great Barrier Reef at A$56 billion, with an economic contribution of A$6.4 billion per year. Yet this figure grossly underestimates the value of the reef, as it mainly focuses on tourism and the reef’s role as an Australian icon.

When you include aspects of the reef that the report excludes, such as the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs, you find that the reef is priceless.

Putting a price on the Great Barrier Reef buys into the notion that a cost-benefit analysis is the right way to make decisions on policies and projects that may affect the reef. For example, the environmental cost of the extension to the Abbot Point coal terminal can be compared to any economic benefits.

But as the reef is both priceless and irreplaceable, this is the wrong approach. Instead, the precautionary principle should be used to make decisions regarding the reef. Policies and projects that may damage the reef cannot go ahead.

How do you value the Great Barrier Reef?

The Deloitte report uses what’s known as a “contingent valuation” approach. This is a survey-based methodology, and is commonly used to measure the value of non-market environmental assets such as endangered species and national parks – as well as to calculate the impact of events such as oil spills.

In valuing the reef, surveys were used to elicit people’s willingness to pay for it, such as through a tax or levy. This was found to be A$67.60 per person per year. The report also uses the travel-cost method, which estimates willingness to pay for the Great Barrier Reef, based on the time and money that people spend to visit it. Again, this is commonly used in environmental economics to value national parks and the recreational value of local lakes.

Of course, all methods of valuing environmental assets have limitations. For example, it is difficult to make sure that respondents are stating realistic amounts in their willingness to pay. Respondents may act strategically if they think they really will be slugged with a Great Barrier Reef levy. They may conflate this environmental issue with all environmental issues.

But more importantly, the methodology in the report leaves out the most important non-market value that the reef provides, which are called ecosystem services. For example, coral reefs provide storm protection and erosion protection, and they are the nurseries for 25% of all marine animals which themselves have commercial and existence value.

The Deloitte report even cites (but does not reference) a 2014 study that values the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs at US$352,249 per hectare per year. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park covers 35 million hectares with 2,900 individual reefs of varying sizes. This means the ecosystem services it provides are worth trillions of dollars per year.

That is, it is essentially priceless.

The problem with putting a value on the Reef

Valuing the environment at all is contentious in economics. Valuation is performed so that all impacts from, say, a new development, can be expressed in a common metric – in this case dollars. This allows a cost-benefit analysis to be performed.

But putting a price on the Great Barrier Reef hides the fact that it is irreplaceable, and as such its value is not commensurate with the values of other assets. For instance, using Deloitte’s figure, The Australian newspaper compared the reef to the value of 12 Sydney Opera Houses. But while they are both icons, the Opera House can be rebuilt. The Great Barrier Reef cannot. Any loss is irreversible.

When environmental assets are irreplaceable and their loss irreversible, a more appropriate decision-making framework is the Precautionary Principle.

The Precautionary Principle suggests that when there is uncertainty regarding the impacts of a new development on an environmental asset, decision makers should be cautious and minimise the maximum loss. For example, if it is even remotely possible that the extension to the Abbot Point coal terminal could lead to massive destruction of the reef, then precaution suggests that it shouldn’t go ahead.

Assigning a value to the reef might still be appropriate under the Precautionary Principle, to estimate the maximum loss. But it would require the pricing of all values and especially ecosystem services.

While the Precautionary Principle has been much maligned due to its perceived bias against development, it is a key element of the definition of Ecologically Sustainable Development in Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

For a priceless asset like the Great Barrier Reef, it is perhaps better to leave it as “priceless” and to act accordingly. After all, if the Precautionary Principle is ever going to be used when assessing Ecologically Sustainable Development, in contrast with cost-benefit analysis and valuations, it is surely for our main environmental icon.

Ultimately, the protection and prioritisation of the Great Barrier Reef is a political issue that requires political will, and not one that can be solved by pricing and economics.

Author: Neil Perry Western Sydney University from the

Further reading:

Bust the Regional City Myths and Look Beyond the “Big 5” For A $378b Return

First home buyers grant “Pitted” by Queensland Treasurer

Guide to selling a luxury home

Guide to 22 knockout marketing tips to sell a home

Free subscription offer

Click on image to Join TREN

How to stay up-to-date

Do you have an opinion about the Great Barrier Reef?

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Become a subscriber to TREN eMgazine and be the first to receive local breaking stories, analysis and opinions on the Townsville real estate market.

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