Get on board the Green Tram to make a difference

Tigers, Snow Leopards, Platypus, Helmeted Honeyeaters, Rhinoceros, and other wildlife species will be roaming Melbourne’s city streets for the next six months, bringing a touch of the wild to the CBD.

They’re all starring on the new ‘Green Tram’ which was launched this morning on Tuesday 26 August.

Zoos Victoria, the City of Melbourne, and Yarra Trams have partnered to produce a ‘Green Tram’ that will carry messages of environmental sustainability around the City Circle for the next six months.

Werribee Open Range Zoo Director Jenny Gray says ‘This tram is green, both figuratively and literally, so pedestrians and passengers will be able to identify it easily.  The messages focus on what we can all do to make a difference, highlighting simple choices that can benefit wildlife and their habitats.’

Acting Lord Mayor Gary Singer said that the City of Melbourne was keen to partner in the project because it’s a step in the right direction to encouraging visitors and residents of the city to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

‘We are encouraging passengers to think of the city as a natural ecosystem that should be cared for and preserved.  Passengers travelling on the Green Tram will see handy tips displayed on the interior which show how to proactively contribute to caring for the environment,’ the Acting Lord Mayor told the launch guests.
 
Yarra Trams Acting CEO Raymond O’Flaherty said the Green Tram will be running on Green Power, generated by wind farms.
 
“This is our second wind powered tram and we’re proud to demonstrate the potential for renewable energy in Melbourne’s future.  The sustainability of public transport means every one of us can make a difference just by taking the tram instead of the car,” he said.
 
Zoos Victoria wildlife images enliven the Green Tram, both outside and inside. These ‘hero images’ have been selected by Melbourne Zoo’s design team to attract attention to the key messages on topics such as recycling, littering, and reducing use of water and power.

Jenny Gray explains that ‘these messages all provide clear call-to-action information, such as binning litter to protect our waterways and wild creatures like seals and frogs -- or buying recycled or Australian plantation timber to protect the rainforests that elephants, tigers and orang-utans need to survive.’

Release Issued: 26 August 2008