The ecological footprint of an individual, a city, a country, or humanity is a measure of how much productive land and water they require to produce all the resources they consume and to absorb all the waste they generate, using prevailing technology. This land could be anywhere in the world.

The Ecological Footprint is measured in global hectares. This is one hectare of biologically productive space with world-average productivity. The available area on earth has been calculated as 2.2 hectares per person.

Jamboree Ward is a region of South West Brisbane comprising the following suburbs:
Jamboree Heights, Jindalee, Middle Park, Mt Ommaney, Riverhills, Seventeen Mile Rocks, Sinnamon Park, Westlake, most of Corinda and parts of Oxley.

The Ecological footprint for Jamboree Ward has been calculated at approximately 400,000 global hectares, or 4000 global km2.

What does this mean?
 
For an idea of how much land this is, the Brisbane Metropolitan area is 4673 km2,  including Ipswich City, Redlands Shire, Redcliffe City, Logan City, Pine Rivers Shire & part of Gold Coast City, Beaudesert Shire & Caboolture Shire.

At present rates of consumption around 200 people could live in Jamboree Ward sustainably, if the local area was providing all of their needs.

It is not anticipated that a suburban area in the Australian city/state model could feasibly be sustainable on the basis of its geographical area, but the Ecological Footprint concept does provide a particularly graphic representation of the overall demands of modern urban society, and a reminder of the meaning of sustainability in the context of continued population growth and resource depletion.

Calculate your own Ecological Footprint
A number of online calculators are available and might give you food for thought.

Give it a try

http://www.acfonline.org.au/news.asp?news_id=181

http://www.auscale.footprintnetwork.org/

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/games.htm
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/Eco-footprint/default.asp
http://www.earthday.org/Footprint/index.asp