2013 Victorian Premier's Sustainability Award winners announced

The winners of the 2013 Premier’s Sustainability Awards for Victoria have been announced. Now in their 11th year, the awards celebrate efficient use of water, resources and energy, better waste management and recycling practices, the enhancement of the environment and effective, practical community action.

The Premier’s Recognition Award was won by Moonee Valley City Council and Wingate Avenue Community Centre for their project to introduce recycling to a community housing estate, which also won the Community category of the awards.

The Ascot Vale Housing Estate Household Recycling project defied previous failed attempts to introduce recycling and established a successful, groundbreaking model using targeted and broad-ranging community engagement of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. In its first six months, 52 tonnes of recyclables were recovered. Furthermore, three of the 11 residents who worked on the project secured jobs as a result of their experience.

Sustainability Victoria CEO Stan Krpan congratulated the project team for their work in delivering recycling to the estate’s residents, of whom 55% were born overseas.

“A key initiative of this project was the focus on engaging residents, from many cultural backgrounds with varying competency in English, in the importance of recycling,” he said.

The Premier chose Victoria Carpets as the winner of the inaugural Premier’s Regional Recognition Award for a series of sustainability projects at its Bendigo Woollen Mill. The company also won the Large Business Award.

The full list of winners includes:

• The Premier’s Recognition Award: Moonee Valley City Council and Wingate Avenue Community Centre, taking recycling to public housing residents.
• The Premier’s Regional Recognition Award: Victoria Carpets, for energy and emissions reduction in its Bendigo plant.
• Innovative Products or Services Award: ModWood Technologies for the development of Flame Shield, a wood-plastic composite for building in bushfire areas.
• Infrastructure and Buildings Award: RMIT University for the Swanston Academic Building - a progressive tertiary learning environment.
• Environmental Protection Award: Mallee Catchment Management Authority’s project to restore the balance in the drought-riven Hattah Lakes.
• Education Award: Bentleigh Secondary College - a world-recognised sustainable school.
• Small and Medium Enterprises Award: Rae-Line for embedding sustainability practices in manufacturing soft trim components for trucks.
• Large Business Award: Victoria Carpets.
• Community Award: Moonee Valley City Council and Wingate Avenue Community Centre.

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