Spotlighting the champions making sustainability part of everyday care.
For Amanda Carver, hospital sustainability means bold vision, practical action and small daily habits that matter. As Senior Director of Strategy and Health Service Planning at Gold Coast Health, she¡¯s driving everything from plastic-free swaps to climate-ready infrastructure for 2040 and beyond. Her passion is rooted in firsthand experience with drought and a deep respect for Country ¨C fuelling her commitment to lasting change.
To start us off, can you tell us about your role at Gold Coast Health¡
My team has the exciting and privileged role of looking ahead and helping make sure the future we want happens, including all the way through to 2040 and beyond, when a million people will live on the Gold Coast. That covers everything from Gold Coast Health¡¯s Strategic Plan to building new hospitals and working with the Brisbane Olympic Committee.
What does sustainability look like in your day-to-day work?
We¡¯re lucky that our environmental agenda has strong support ¨C from clinicians right through to the Gold Coast Health Board. My job is to make sure we work with government and the Department of Health to develop and put in place policies that help us all be ¡®greener every day¡¯ while also planning future buildings and services that can withstand the growing impacts of climate change.
I also Chair the Gold Coast Environmental Sustainability Committee, which leads the delivery of our local 10-year strategy and annual action plan to drive meaningful, step-by-step change.
What sparked your interest in sustainable practices?
During the droughts 20 years ago, I saw first-hand the impact of extreme heat and low rainfall while working across Victoria and Queensland. It made me reflect on what a changing climate could mean long term.
As I connected with First Nations communities, I embraced the idea of ¡®treading lightly on Country¡¯. What started with water-saving grew into reducing waste, recycling more and avoiding plastic, especially soft plastics, as much as we can.
What are some of your go-to plastic-free swaps?
A quick win is lunch boxes ¨C our family all use metal lunchboxes and reusable water bottles that will last us for years. I think our biggest impact comes from how we shop. We bring cloth bags for bakery bread, fruits and vegetables, and I always try to have a clean Keep Cup at the ready.
What are some simple sustainable practices staff can try at work?
Beyond plastic-free swaps, there are simple, cost-free actions that might seem small but make a big impact when done collectively:
Go digital and try switching from paper notebooks to a digital option like OneNote.
Reduce bin liners by removing small bins from your workspace to reduce the number of plastic liners being used.
Sort waste carefully and remember just one wrong item can contaminate an entire load of recycling.
Drop cans and bottles into the correct recycling bins, or better yet, take them to a Containers for Change centre and donate the refund to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation ¨C two good deeds in one!
What are some easy ways to save energy in a busy hospital or workplace?
Switch off lights, monitors and screens when not in use, even in empty meeting rooms or bedside monitors.
Power down shared equipment like photocopiers at the end of the week.
Declutter your digital space by cleaning up email inboxes and document folders to reduce server load.
Share smart and send SharePoint links instead of duplicating large files in multiple folders.
Be mindful of digital tools ¨C unnecessary AI use and data storage consume more energy than you think.
What¡¯s your vision for a more sustainable health service?
One where we all do our bit each day, being mindful of what we use, reducing where we can, and recycling carefully where we can¡¯t.
With health care being the fourth-largest carbon emitter globally and knowing the future health impacts of climate change, this isn¡¯t an optional extra ¨C it¡¯s part of ¡®Always Caring¡¯.
I¡¯m excited to see us starting this green journey together as a community.