Canberrans urged to enter the 2008 ACT Sustainable Cities Awards
The Keep Australia Beautiful ACT Sustainable Cities Awards for 2008 were officially launched today at the Legislative Assembly by John Hargreaves MLA, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services.
“The ACT Government is committed to the environment and to tackling climate change. These awards are an opportunity for us to recognise those in our community who are making a difference. By focusing attention on those who are doing something new, innovative or even just having a go, we can inspire others to do the same,” said Mr Hargreaves.
Speaking at the launch, Howard Pender from Australian Ethical Investment, winner of the 2007 ACT Awards, said:
“We wanted to do the right thing when we set out to create a new office. Our renovation of Trevor Pearcey House created a better environment for our staff, financial savings for our company and substantial gains for the environment. I encourage ACT residents to enter these awards and to show the rest of Australia what ACT residents and organisations are achieving for the environment.”
Also speaking at the launch was the 2006 Winner, Klaus Weber, from ANU Sliver Cell.
“Thanks to these awards we have been able to reach a wider audience with our message. Best wishes to all entrants in 2008 and to the overall winner who will represent the ACT in the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards for 2008.”
Jenny Pickles, General Manager of Principal Sponsor, the Packaging Stewardship Forum’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ program, added:
“These awards help us find examples of excellence and effective case studies of how much was recycled, where and by whom. We look forward to seeing some interesting entries in the ‘Packaging Recycling’ category this year.”
Entries close 27 June 2008 and winners will be announced early August. Entry details can be found online at www.kab.org.au or email Yvonne Harris on [email protected]
Background to Australian Ethical Investment and Trevor Pearcey House
The refurbishment of Trevor Pearcey House, AEI’s new head office, transformed an existing building and set a new standard on how a world’s best practice green building can be achieved on a conventional budget. This project was undertaken using accepted conventional and low technology design principles, technologies and materials which can be easily transferred to other projects. Most refurbishment projects see existing internal fit outs as either waste to landfill, or materials to be recycled off site, often at their lowest value. Substantial amounts of materials were reused in the new fit out, helping avoid the purchase of new materials. The building received a ‘world leader’ six star green star office design rating from the green building council Australia. It was the third building in Australia to achieve this rating.
Background to ANU Sliver Cell
Dr Klaus Weber and Prof. Andrew Blakers of the Australian National University invented Sliver solar cell technology as part of a research program substantially funded by Origin Energy. The high efficiency and low cost of sliver solar cells means that sliver technology has an excellent chance of dominating PV technology and the PV industry. Recent studies have indicated that Sliver technology could reduce the costs of PV technology to a point where it will be competitive with wind energy and ‘zero emission’ coal.
Background to the ‘Do the Right Thing’ program of the Packaging Stewardship Forum
The Packaging Stewardship Forum was established in May 2006 as a forum of the Australian Food and Grocery Council. The Forum aims to significantly increase government, industry and community understanding of resource recovery and litter management through the delivery of projects throughout Australia, either directly or in partnership with others. Its focus is on providing cost-effective resource recovery and litter reduction solutions that deliver real and measurable outcomes. The Forum’s highly successful Do the Right Thing anti-litter campaign is stronger than ever, with more than 80% of people recognising that Do the Right Thing means put your waste in the bin. Throughout Australia more than 180 towns and cities are taking the Do the Right Thing message to their communities.
Background to Keep Australia Beautiful
Keep Australia Beautiful is best known for its awards programs that identify, acknowledge and promote excellence in grass roots environmental initiatives. These include Tidy Towns, Sustainable Cities and Clean Beaches. Each of the awards programs celebrate the work of local communities striving towards sustainability. Keep Australia Beautiful Week is held in the last week of August each to coincide with spring. These are just some of the activities that involve up to 3 million Australians each year. Program details can be found at www.kab.org.au
