Premier's Sustainability Awards recognise Victorian business initiatives

The Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2011 has recognised several Victorian businesses and organisations for their outstanding achievements in implementing sustainability initiatives.

The Recognition award for outstanding achievement has been awarded to Godfrey Hirst Australia for introducing best-practice sustainability initiatives into its daily business operations over the past seven years.

“I would like to congratulate Godfrey Hirst Australia and all the category winners for their creativity, leadership and innovation, and for integrating sustainability into their organisation and work practices,” Baillieu said.

Godfrey Hirst Australia’s water treatment plant, based on effluent recycling and stormwater harvesting, has helped reduce emissions and water consumption by almost 50%.

“Our finalists have demonstrated that sustainability makes good business sense and can assist Victorian businesses reduce costs and gain or maintain a competitive edge on a national and global scale,” Baillieu said.

“Being smart with our resources makes economic and social sense.”

The winners of the Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2011 were:

• Built Environment award - Grocon for its carbon-neutral Pixel Building that has achieved a perfect Green Star rating
• Small Business award - 3Fish for providing ethical, Fairtrade clothing using organic cotton, dyes and ink
• Community award - Hepburn Wind for Australia’s first community-owned wind farm which will deliver clean electricity to all houses in Daylesford and the surrounding area
• Products or Services award - Grocon for developing Pixelcrete, a ‘green’ concrete substitute with the same strength and use as conventional concrete
• State Government award - Department of Treasury and Finance for its Greener Government Buildings Program to help reduce the Victorian Government’s environmental impact and operational costs
• Local Government award - Whitehorse City Council for the Whitehorse Sustainable Ambassadors program that has engaged more than 1000 community members in sustainable living practices
• Tertiary Education award - RMIT University for embedding sustainability into its Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design) program

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, presented the awards and said he was impressed by the quality of all the initiatives.