Abstract: Increasing attention has been given to the impacts of human settlements and human activity on the finite resources of our planet. Ecological Footprint calculations have been applied internationally, nationally and sub-regionally as a comprehensive analytical methodology to provide a consistent measurement of resource consumption at the country, city, organisational or individual levels.

Ecological Footprint analysis is gaining in reputation and credibility in its capacity to usefully inform governments, organisations and communities on the excesses of our society’s resource consumption and our population’s increasing pressure on diminishing natural resources. Despite this progress in improving the methodology and deriving a calculation, there are few cases where organisations appear to have “operationalised” the ecological footprint calculation, that is, translated the results into measurable policy responses and actions clearly aimed at reducing the “footprint” of a given population.

Late in 2005, Randwick City Council, commissioned the first Ecological Footprint analysis of key local government areas (LGAs) in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. Early in 2007, Randwick Council was successful in a $1.88 million funding application with two neighbouring Councils, Waverley and Woollahra, in a 3 year project aimed at reducing the Ecological Footprint of the Eastern Suburbs. This paper will describe the approach underway, the progress to date, a number of related outcomes and challenges for the future