Part of Sustainable Living Week – held in March or April each year – the Whitehorse Sustainability Awards are a celebration of the achievements of members of the community. The awards reward and recognise local residents, schools, community groups and business for their efforts in building socially-connected communities and leading sustainable lifestyles.

For more information about the Whitehorse Sustainability Awards,  email greenercity@whitehorse.vic.gov.au or call Council on 9262 6333 and ask to speak to the EcoVision team.

This year’s award winners were announced on 22 April 2010 at the Box Hill Community Arts Centre with more than 170 attendees. The MC for the evening was Channel 9 personality and Olympic gold medalist Giaan Rooney.

This 2010 award winners are:

Sustainable Home Award – Steele Residence
The Steele’s undertook an extensive retrofit that has resulted in significantly reducing their home’s water and energy consumptions including 100% non-dependency on mains water by harvesting rain water from their own roof space and that of their neighbours. 

Commendation: Doblin and Makhijani Residences

Sustainable Garden Award – Makhijani Residence
The Makhijani family designed their garden as an extension of their indoor living area. Their garden includes indigenous plants, a veggie patch using permaculture methods, harvested rainwater and chickens that provide food and manure. The native garden has provided great habitat for birds, lizards and insects; and the pond not only provides habitat for frogs but it is used to grow edible water cress and water chestnuts.

Sustainable School Award – Vermont Primary School
Vermont Primary School incorporates sustainability within its curriculum and participates in activities that engage the broader community such as a sustainable festival education day, showerhead exchange program, the Yarra Valley Water Short Film Festival, sustainable art competitions, and sustainable leaders and environmental groups. Some of the sustainability features of the school include 4 x 22,000 litre water tanks, installation of specialised taps to refill drinking bottles, a drought-tolerant garden and a chook pen.

Commendation: Kingswood College

Sustainable Community Award – Blackburn Bowls Club
The Blackburn Bowls Club is leading by example by adopting sustainable measures to ensure the viability of its playing surfaces. The club has installed a 140,000 litre underground water retention system, a water retrieval system that captures rainwater and creek surge flow, and a drought-tolerant grass playing surface for their bowling rinks. The club has formed partnerships with a local primary school and creek advisory committee to raise awareness on the local environment and developed a native garden created by club members to reduce dependency on water and increase connectivity with the surrounding bushland.

Commendations: Tzu Chi Foundation – Melbourne / Vermont South Community House

Sustainable Business Award – Small Business (joint winners) – HAUS by Joanne Patterson Interior Design/ Organic Angels
Home-based business HAUS has implemented a number of energy and water-saving activities and sourced local service providers to complement its sustainable-based products.

Organic Angels has implemented changes to minimise its impact on the environment and has promoted Fair Trade and the benefits of organic produce.

Sustainable Business Award – Large Business – Retrofit – Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre
The shopping centre’s retrofit is a great example of overcoming the challenge of making an old building more sustainable, with an impressive list of energy and water-saving measures and waste minimisation improvements being successfully implemented over the past 12 months. 

Sustainable Business Award – Large Business – New Building – Hewlett Packard
Hewlett Packard’s Forest Hill office is a high-tech sustainably-designed building that incorporates a friendly-work environment for its employees. Staff have the opportunity to learn and participate in sustainable activities including the HP Sustainability Network, waste reduction campaigns and sustainable transport alternatives. 

Sustainable Ambassador Award – Innovation – Mal Boyd
Mal was a participant of Council’s first Sustainable Ambassador Program, where he set up and continues to moderate the Whitehorse Freecycle Group – a free online gifting system that promotes the re-use of products, diverting waste to landfill. Mal is the co-convenor of the Eastern Suburbs Permaculture Group and has trained as a Green Loans Home Sustainability Assessor. With this wealth of knowledge, he is a valued member the Box Hill Sustainability Street Group and is often invited to present at community and sustainability events.

Sustainable Ambassador Award – Communication – Viarnne Mischon
Viarnne is the executive producer of Wonderful World Media Network on local radio station 3WBC. In her role, Viarnne aims to raise community awareness and participation in environmental and social issues. She values collaboration with local residents, businesses, and community groups and services, which was reflected in the overwhelming number of letters of support as part of her award nomination.

Sustainable Young Achiever Award – Zachory Benton
A valued member of the Wonderful World Media Network, Zachory is currently studying Year 12. As well as meeting his study commitments, he is an active participant of the Your Planet Needs You! and Live the Good Life programs. He does everything from interviewing prominent community members to assisting with technical services such as editing audio.

Mayor’s Sustainable Choice Award – Tzu Chi Foundation Melbourne
Tzu Chi Foundation has a strong emphasis on raising awareness about the importance of adopting better sustainable practices. Tzu Chi volunteers in the City of Whitehorse have voluntarily assisted with waste minimisation and recycling at community festivals. They have also raised awareness in waste minimisation with the Chinese and Asian communities and worked in partnership with Greenlink on a monthly basis in weeding and planting activities. 

Overall Whitehorse Sustainability Award – Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre
Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre demonstrated leadership and commitment to sustainable best practice.