UNAA WED Awards Winners for the Environment

The United Nations Association of Australia announced the winners of this year’s World Environment Day Awards at the Awards Presentation Dinner held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on 4 June, 2010 and hosted by Rob Gell, environmentalist and President of Greening Australia. For special mention here was the award for Environmental Reporting shared by Adam Morton of The Age and Tanya Ha for “Warm TV”.

The United Nations Association of Australia announced the winners of this year’s World Environment Day Awards. Winners were announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on Friday 4 June, 2010. This gala event was hosted by Rob Gell, Environmentalist and President of Greening Australia.

The new Department of Sustainability and Environment Biodiversity Award, introduced this year to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, went to the Western Australian Local Government Association for its development of Local Biodiversity Strategies, training opportunities and the bringing together of State government, industry and community groups.

Awards were presented across 14 categories to individuals, schools, community groups, businesses and local governments, highlighting top environmental initiatives and programs from across Australia.

Amidst strong competition the Virgin Blue Business Award for Best Specific Environmental Initiative was won by Goulburn Valley Water & Greater Shepparton City Council for their joint project “Resource Recovery Precinct.” Centred on the Shepparton Wastewater Management Facility, the project involves several businesses that turn waste into resources such as renewable energy and compost.

The Kimberley Toad Busters took out the Community Award for its “Cane Toad Control” project, an initiative which has mobilised the community with volunteers clocking up more than a million hours working to stop the progress of cane toads towards the Kimberley.

The Northern Gulf Resource Management Group’s “Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme” was the winner of the Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award, impressing judges with its support of the indigenous communities who are finding local solutions to tackle the negative effects of fishing net debris on native marine life.

Bond University was declared winner of the Szencorp Green Building Award, having been accredited with a six star Green Star rating for its Mirvac School of Sustainable Development Building which allows visitors to experience its sustainable processes in action.

Equally impressive was the Monash Sustainability Institute who won the Education/School Award for its “Green Steps” program empowering participants with the skills and knowledge to positively affect environmental practices within organisations.

International law firm Allens Arthur Robinson won the WSP Lincolne Scott Sustainability Leadership Award for its performance and approach to sustainability as well as its ability to influence both their suppliers and clients from an environmental, social and community perspective.

Edstein Creative Stone was awarded the Excellence in Sustainable Water Management Award for developing a recycling system which cuts its water use in stone cutting and polishing by 98 per cent.

Established in 2000, the Awards program is now in its 11th year and continues to acknowledge action taken at a local level to address global environmental issues.

Department of Sustainability and Environment Biodiversity Award WINNER: Western Australian Local Government Association – “Perth Biodiversity Project & South West Biodiversity Project”

Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge Award WINNER: Darebin City Council – “Darebin’s Climate Change Action” SPECIAL COMMENDATION: National Australia Bank – “Carbon Neutral 2010 Strategy” Szencorp Green Building Award WINNER: Bond University – “Mirvac School of Sustainable Development Building”

Virgin Blue Business Awards – Best Specific Environmental Initiative WINNER: Goulburn Valley Water & Greater Shepparton City Council – “Resource Recovery Precinct” SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Zoos Victoria – “They’re Calling On You!” – Environmental Best Practice Program WINNER: InStyle Contract Textiles “Sustainability with Style”

WSP Lincolne Scott Sustainability Leadership Award WINNER: Allens Arthur Robinson SPECIAL COMMENDATION: National Australia Bank Education/School Award WINNER: Monash Sustainability Institute – “Green Steps” Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award WINNER: Northern Gulf Resource Management Group – “Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme”

Excellence in Sustainable Water Management Award WINNER: Edstein Creative Stone Local Government Awards – Excellence in Overall Environmental Management WINNER: Byron Shire Council – “The Brunswick Estuary Management Plan & Sewerage Augmentation Scheme” – Best Specific Environmental Initiative WINNER: Moonee Valley City Council – “Moonee Ponds Green Precinct” SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Fairfield City Council – “Sustain ‘n’ Save Business Program” Community Award WINNER: Kimberley Toad Busters – “Cane Toad Control”

Individual Award for Outstanding Service to the Environment WINNER: Emeritus Professor Tor Hundloe – “An Environmental Pioneer” Media Award for Environmental Reporting JOINT WINNER: Adam Morton, The Age – “Climate Change Coverage” JOINT WINNER: Tanya Ha – “Warm TV” Source: www.unaavictoria.org.au

While not a winner, the work of Greenfleet was recognised for biodiversity in World Environment Day Awards. In addition to recapturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, Greenfleet has always committed to planting a selection of locally native trees to form biodiverse forests, which also reduce salinity and erosion, and increase habitat for wildlife.

This commitment was recognised recently when Greenfleet, along with project partner Biolinking Australia, was selected as a finalist for the UNAA World Environment Day Awards in the Biodiversity category. The Northern Victorian Biolinks project is a collaboration between Biolinking Australia and Greenfleet – two likeminded organisations focused on developing an innovative market-based approach to protecting, enhancing and restoring Victoria’s biodiversity.

So far the project has achieved: • Landscape scale revegetation of over 2000 hectares of marginal agricultural land • Protection of over 1300 hectares of existing formerly grazed areas of biodiversity • Increased connectivity between significant areas of privately owned remnant vegetation • Increased resilience of significant populations of threatened species While we didn’t win, we were still pleased to be named a finalist.

We were also particularly pleased to be recognised for our actions during 2010 – International Year of Biodiversity. This recognition helps to demonstrate that action on climate change can also bring about significant benefits for the Australian landscape.

Source: www.greenfleet.com.au