A hall at Monash University, an apartment development in Melbourne’s Fairfield, and a Council-led sustainability program have been announced as finalists in the Built Environment category of the 2019 Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
The Premier’s Sustainability Awards offered 11 award categories to enter in 2019, with the Built Environment category being one of them.
Gillies Hall is a six-level, 150-bed residential accommodation complex. It is the first large scale building in Australia to achieve Passive House certification and was named in honour of Monash alumnus – political satirist, actor and director Dr Max Gillies AM. Gillies Hall puts occupant comfort, health and wellbeing as a central focus, at an energy and carbon footprint dramatically lower than any similar type of building in Australia.
Nightingale 2.0 by Hip V Hype and Six Degrees Architects is a triple bottom line apartment development model, rigorously designed to prioritise liveability, community and sustainability. Home to 20 deeply sustainable design-led apartments and three ground-floor retail tenancies across five levels, the project achieved an average 8.7 stars NatHERS thermal performance rating and will be fossil fuel free in operation.
Gannawarra Shire Council’s sustainability program is leading the way through a series of community initiatives and its own practices, benefitting both the environment and their local economy.
Projects that form part of the Sustainable Gannawarra initiative are: supporting large scale solar initiatives; assisting the community through improved lighting and waste collection services; developing joint ventures to reduce costs and environmental impacts of diesel engines; enhancing solar energy generation by recycling infrastructure; investigating supporting the installation of microgrid systems to power local towns; and participating in the Central Victoria Greenhouse Alliance’s electric vehicle recharging program.
Mayor Lorraine Learmonth said: “the numerous initiatives that make up the Sustainable Gannawarra program are ensuring Council is meeting its goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 10 per cent, as outlined in the Gannawarra Shire Council Plan 2017-2021.”
Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Thursday 10 October at Forum Melbourne.
The Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, will personally select the winners of the Premier’s Regional Recognition Award and the Premier’s Recognition Award, which will be presented at the Awards ceremony.
A full list of finalists can be found below:
Built Environment
- Gannawarra Shire Council – Sustainable Gannawarra
- HIP V. HYPE and Six Degrees Architects – Nightingale 2.0
- Monash University – Gillies Hall
Community
- Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions, Bendigo Sustainability Group, Gippsland Climate Change Network – Community Power Hubs
- Enable Social Enterprises – Enable IT Recycling
- Renew – Hepburn Z-NET
Education
- Ballarat Tech School – War on Waste (Precious Plastic Program)
- River Nile School – Sustainability across VCAL Curriculum
- St Aloysius Primary School, Queenscliff – Stewards of Swan Bay
Environmental Justice
- AMES Australia and Parks Victoria – Working Beyond the Boundaries
- Enable Social Enterprises – Enable IT Recycling
- Renew – Hepburn Z-NET
Environmental Protection
- Booth Transport – Strathmerton Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Environmental Monitoring Solutions – Fuelsuite
- Greening the West – Greening the West 1 Million Trees Project
Environmental Volunteering
- Colleen Hughson – Good Will Nurdle Hunting
- Electrifying Industry Volunteer Working Group – Electrifying Industry
- Park Guide Volunteers – Volunteer Park Guides pilot program
Government
- Barwon Water – Zero Emissions program
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning – Victorian Renewable Energy Target Reverse Auction
- Greening the West – Greening the West 1 Million Trees Project
Health
- Drukshini Dissanayake – Aluminium Suture Packet Recycling
- Melbourne Health – Reducing hunger and food waste in our community
- Western Health and Donations In Kind-Rotary International – Equipment Reissue Program for Hardship
Innovative Products or Services
- Enable Social Enterprises – Enable IT Recycling
- Soap Aid – Hotel to Hands
- Sustainable Australia Fund – Better Building Finance
Large Business
- Downer EDI – Reconophalt
- NEXTDC – Organisational Sustainability Projects and Facilities Upgrades
- Veolia Environmental Services – Waste Pioneers Program
Small and Medium Business
- Kia Ora Merino – Ethical, Sustainable, Profitable Wool Production
- retub – Premium reusable takeaway containers
- Smart Recycling – Pioneers in Innovative Recycling