World Environment Day award winners announced

The winners of this year’s United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards were announced at a gala presentation dinner held at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne. The event was hosted by Ian Kiernan, Chairman of Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World.

Established in 2000, the awards program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and once again acknowledges action taken at a local level to address global environmental issues. The United Nations' theme for World Environment Day this year is ‘Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change’.

Across 14 categories, awards were presented to individuals, schools, communities, governments and commercial organisations.

Among the winners was Visy Industries for the Lincolne Scott Sustainability Leadership Award. A partnership of 12 NSW local governments, led by Randwick City Council, won the Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge Award for creating their own emissions trading scheme.

Amidst strong competition, the Szencorp Green Building Award was won by Gold Coast company Rockcote Pty Ltd for 'Rockcote Design Centre'. Design Inc Melbourne and the Department of Human Services won the Building Commission Award for Best Sustainable Residential Development for the public housing project 'K2 Apartments Windsor — Sustainable Housing'.

Winners include:

• Building Commission Award for Best Sustainable Residential Development
  DesignInc Melbourne & Department of Human Services — K2 Apartments Windsor — Sustainable Housing
• Best Specific Environmental Initiative
  Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board — Mountain Pygmy-Possum Habitat Re-creation
• Environmental Best Practice Program
  Centennial Park Cemetery — Green to the Grave
• Szencorp Green Building Award
  Rockcote Pty Ltd — Rockcote Design Centre
• Lincolne Scott Sustainability Leadership Award
  Visy Industries
• Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge Award
  Randwick City Council — NSW Local Government Emissions Trading Scheme
• Education/School Award
  Merrylands East Public School — Education for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century
• Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award
  Boating Industry Association of Victoria — BIA Victoria Marine Pest Project
• Excellence in Sustainable Water Management Award 
  Western Water and Water Infrastructure Group — Eynesbury Township
• Excellence in Overall Environmental Management
  Randwick City Council — Innovative Sustainability Solutions from an Annual Environmental Levy Program
• Best Specific Environmental Initiative
  Wodonga City Council — Sort and Save
• Community Award
  CERES Community Environment Park — CERES Community Environment Park
• Individual Award
  Sean Willmore — The Thin Green Line Foundation
• Media Award for Environmental Reporting
  Adam Morton, The Age — Climate Change Coverage