Some 14 years after the then Premier Bob Carr launched Sydney’s Sustainable House by pulling the knob on a front loading clothes washing machine, Bob will return to the house to launch the second edition of my book, Sustainable House.

In the 14 years that’ve passed over 1.5 million litres of sewage has been kept in the tiny back garden, and over 1.4 million litres of dam water has been left in the dam.  We’ve been drinking rain water here in the city all that time and it’s been sparkling clean and delicious to the taste.  Over 112 tonnes of coal has not been burnt because of the house’s solar electricity panels.  Over $35,000 in water and electricity bills have been saved.

So, how is the quality of the soil here, how are the panels performing?

These and other questions can now be answered with the data of failures, successes and lessons set out as fully as I can in the new edition.

Last time he was here Bob served me with a noise control warning because of my frogs in my pond (he was joking, ok).

I’m looking forward to seeing the many people who have helped me in so many ways next Wednesday at the launch here.  We’ll harvest some tucker from my garden and locally for the occasion so it’ll be a truly local celebration.

Michael