Entry Kit
Now in their twelfth year, the 2014 Premier's Sustainability Awards recognise and reward Victorian businesses, institutions, communities and individuals that are leading the way to a sustainable Victoria.
Key dates
· Entries open: Monday, March 3
· Information sessions: Friday, March 21
Wednesday, April 9
· Entries close: 5pm, Monday 2 June
· Finalists announced: Week commencing September 1
· Awards ceremony: Thursday, October 2
ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED:· By phone to:
o Aaron Yuen – (03) 9668 5769 or
o Belinda Hewitt – (03) 9668 5524
· By email to
· More general information can also be found at www.sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au
SUBMISSIONS CAN ONLY BE MADE:
· By email to
· Please refer How to Enter section of this Entry Kit, for more information regarding submission requirements.
Entry Kit Contents
Award Categories
· Details of the Premier’s Recognition Award 3
· Details of the Premier’s Regional Recognition Award 3
· Details of each of the nine Award categories:
o Cleaner Yarra and Bay 4
o Community 8
o Education 11
o Environmental Protection 14
o Infrastructure and Buildings 18
o Innovative Products or Services 21
o Large Business 24
o Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) 27
o Tourism 30
Terms and Conditions 33
How to Enter 35
· Making a submission 35
· Further submission details 35
· Note regarding the provision of financial information 36
· Entry receipt and subsequent judging process 37
Entry Form 38
· Entry details 38
· Main body of entry 41
Premier’s Recognition Award
The Premier’s Recognition Award is chosen by the Honourable Denis Napthine MP, Premier of Victoria.
The Award is made to one of the winners of the nine award categories which, in the Premier’s opinion, showcases exemplary innovation in sustainability, and has shown particular leadership and determination in overcoming obstacles.
Premier’s Regional Recognition Award
The Premier’s Regional Award is chosen by the Honourable Denis Napthine MP, Premier of Victoria.
The Award is made to one of the finalists of the nine award categories which, in the Premier’s opinion, has demonstrated notable sustainability benefits for regional Victoria.
Cleaner Yarra and Bay Award
Leadership, commitment and excellence by an individual, community group, business, organisation, or government to protect and/or enhance the health of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways.
Eligible EntriesProjects undertaken by individuals or organisations, which have demonstrated the key drivers of environmental citizenship (participation, restorative action and leadership).
Projects which have demonstrated positive outcomes for reducing litter and preventing pollution from stormwater run-off from entering our waterways.
Particular note will be made of projects demonstrating stakeholder collaboration and innovative approaches that exceed best practice.
These projects may have been undertaken by:
· Individuals.
· Organizations (including Community Groups).
· Industry (large business, small to medium enterprises).
· Government (local, state and departments/agencies). / · The majority of demonstrable results must have occurred during the calendar year of 2013.
· If started prior to 2013, major new activities or initiatives must have occurred during 2013.
These activities and results are to have a particular focus on achieving positive outcomes for protecting or improving the water quality, amenity or health of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways.
Queries regarding the eligibility of an entry in the Cleaner Yarra and Bay category should be clarified by email or phone using the contact details in the first section of the Entry Kit.
Note regarding the requirement to provide financial information as part of the submission in this Award category:
· Industry or business entries for this category must provide financial information.
Individuals, community groups or government do not need to provide financial information.
· Please see the ‘How to Enter’ section for further details.
Cleaner Yarra and Bay Award /
Addressing the Category Criteria
Your submission must address the following five criteria in the Entry Form template. / Below are some examples of how to demonstrate your organisation is meeting each criterion. Please include measurable results, proof, statistics and additional points as appropriate.
1. Background, driving forces and the commitment to the initiative. / · Provide an introduction including your drivers, vision and objectives.
· Describe your approach and commitment to environmental management, sustainability and stakeholder collaboration.
· Describe your methods and approach for restoring the water quality, amenity and/or the health of the waterways.
· Describe the extent to which your project and chosen approach has considered impacts for the health and amenity of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways.
· Describe the expected outcomes (environmental and other), funding received, and time involved (months, years) for your project.
Please provide details of any government grants or other funding you have received relating to your project. If you believe that a funding source (including Sustainability Victoria or Department of Environment and Primary Industries funding) may impact the eligibility of your entry, please make email/phone contact using the contact details in the first section of the Entry Kit.
2. Achievements and results. / · Describe how your project has demonstrated positive outcomes or improvements which have occurred for the water quality, amenity and/or health of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways.
This may include, but is not limited to:
· Reducing litter and preventing pollution from stormwater run-off from entering the stated waterways.
· Improving rural and peri-urban land management that leads to the protection of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways.
· Provide relevant data and other evidence which demonstrates excellence, positive outcomes or improvements.
Where possible, it is desirable that the quantification of environmental improvement (such as improved water quality or healthier riparian zones) be robust and based on a defensible scientific method.
· Describe the achieved response in terms of awareness, acceptance, support and direct involvement, including numbers involved and examples of community commitment.
· Provide details for any media support and coverage, publications and awards received for your project.
· Provide any evidence of independent auditing by suitably qualified professionals.
· Have you achieved any positive benefits for the greater Victorian environment and communities beyond the immediate project scope?
3. Contribution to a more sustainable future environment. / · Describe the extent to which your project has been delivered in a way which creates long-term positive outcomes for the health of the Yarra River, Port Phillip Bay and/or its waterways at both a local and regional scale.
· Describe the long term project outcomes for the quality, amenity and/or health of the local environment, and any legacy/benefits beyond the immediate project outcomes.
· Describe any positive social, economic and cultural benefits resulting from your project for the local community.
· How has your project influenced the attitudes and environmental awareness of others in the local and regional community?
· How does your project contribute to healthier waterways on an ecosystem scale?
· How will the project or area be protected or enhanced permanently in the long-term, and what processes have been put in place to ensure this?
4. Innovative practices, technologies or standards developed or utilised. / · Describe the use of any innovative approaches or technologies to achieve waterway health, environment protection and/or enhancement.
· Describe how these approaches demonstrate excellence and high-performance regarding waterway health, environmental protection and/or enhancement.
· Describe approaches and innovations in overcoming obstacles and problem solving.
· Describe the aspects of your project which have the potential to be adopted elsewhere, including whether your project can be replicated in Victoria or nationally.
5. Partnerships formed and utilised and stakeholders engaged in achieving your results / · Describe the role existing partnerships and the creation of new partnerships have had in the success of your project.
· Describe how your project incorporated community consultation, stakeholder collaboration and/or partnering as a means to enhance positive sustainability outcomes and community environment awareness.
Community Award
Leadership, commitment and excellence in delivery of sustainable projects or programs which have demonstrated widespread benefits for Victorian communities.
Eligible EntriesProjects, initiatives, groups or individuals which have produced direct benefits for a local community or communities in Victoria.
Eligible projects, initiatives or groups may have been initiated, resourced or supported by:
· Community groups.
· Individuals.
· Not-for-profit organisations.
· Local and State Government. / · Sustainability in a ‘local community’ is defined as being a group of individuals who have interacted within their immediate surroundings, leaving a positive impact in an environmental, social and financial way.
· The majority of demonstrable results must have occurred during the calendar year of 2013.
· If started prior to 2013, major new initiatives must have occurred during 2013.
· The demonstrable activities and results associated with the entry must be within Victoria.
Queries regarding the eligibility of an entry in the Community Award category, particularly the issue of funding sources, should be clarified by email or phone using the contact details in the first section of the Entry Kit.
Note regarding the requirement to provide financial information as part of the submission in this Award category:
· Entries for this category do not need to provide financial information.
· Please see the ‘How to Enter’ section for further details.
Community Award /
Addressing the Category Criteria
Your submission must address the following five criteria in the Entry Form template. / Below are some examples of how to demonstrate your organisation is meeting each criterion. Please include measurable results, proof, statistics and additional points as appropriate.
1. Background, driving forces and the commitment to the initiative. / · Provide an introduction including your drivers, area of sustainability focus, vision and objectives.
· Describe the issues, target objectives, expected outcomes, funding received, and time involved (months, years) in your project.
· Please provide details of any government grants or other funding you have received relating to this project. As above, if you believe that a funding source may impact the eligibility of your entry, please make email or phone contact using the contact details in the first section of the Entry Kit.
· Describe how your project is sustainable detailing environmental, social and financial benefits as far as possible.
· Describe how your project or initiative has resulted in direct sustainability benefit to the local community.
2. Achievements and results. / · Include relevant data which demonstrates the environmental improvements that have occurred as a result of the project.
· Describe your success in increasing awareness and involvement throughout the local community in addressing the project objectives.
· Describe the community response in terms of awareness, acceptance, support and direct involvement, including numbers involved and examples of community commitment.
· Provide details regarding any media support and coverage, publications and awards which the project received.
· How has your project improved liveability in the target community?
3. Contribution to a more sustainable future. / · How has your project influenced the attitudes of others in the target community (and potentially beyond) regarding a more sustainable and healthy environment?
· How does your project contribute to increased sustainability for current and future generations, particularly in regard to reduced water consumption, energy consumption, and waste production?
· How does your project contribute to increased social and economic wellbeing?
· Describe the long term sustainability of your project and the vision/plans for the future including a legacy beyond immediate outcomes e.g. are future funds available, networks secured, environmental issues developed?
4. Innovative practices, technologies or standards developed or utilised. / · Describe the use of innovative approaches or technologies, or originality in overcoming obstacles and problem solving, particularly in relation to:
- The execution of your project
- The issues addressed
- Partnerships, and
- Leading practice tools and techniques.
· Provide detail of new standards which have the potential to be adopted elsewhere, including whether your project can be replicated by others.
5. Partnerships formed and utilised and stakeholders engaged in achieving your results / · What engagement and consultation with community and/or stakeholders has occurred?
· Describe the role of existing partnerships/alliances and the creation of new partnerships in the success of your project, and how these partnerships will be maintained.
· Describe the organisational structure and management that supports your project (e.g. who’s involved, what are the links between organisations, community groups, councils, government, non-government organisations etc.), and how these relationships and roles supported the operation/implementation of the project.
Education Award
Development and delivery of educational programs and institutional practices that address and contribute to a more sustainable Victoria for current and future generations.
Eligible Entries· Universities
· TAFE
· Higher Education Institutions
· Schools
· Child Care (CCB approved)
· Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) / · The majority of demonstrable results must have occurred during the calendar year of 2013.
· If started prior to 2013, major new initiatives, programs or institutional practices must have occurred during 2013.
· The demonstrable activities and results associated with the entry must be within Victoria.
Queries regarding the eligibility of an entry in the Education Award category, particularly the issue of funding sources, should be clarified by email or phone using the contact details in the first section of the Entry Kit.
Note regarding the requirement to provide financial information as part of the submission in this Award category:
· Entries who are Higher Education Institutions, child cares and Registered Training Organisations must provide financial information.
Entries who are universities, TAFEs and schools for this category do not need to provide financial information.
· Please see the How to Enter section for further details.
Education Award /
Addressing the Category Criteria
Your submission must address the following five criteria in the Entry Form template. / Below are some examples of how to demonstrate your organisation is meeting each criterion. Please include measurable results, proof, statistics and additional points as appropriate.
1. Background, driving forces and implementation of the initiative/program. / · What was the purpose of your program? Provide an introduction including your drivers, vision and objectives.
· What were the key indicators for success; for example was it behavioural change, savings of water/energy/other resources, and/or public awareness?
· How was the program delivered and what challenges were faced?
2. Achievements and results. / · What level of success was achieved and what positive change occurred? For example, how many people or students participated in the program?
· What obstacles and difficulties were faced, and how were these overcome?
· Provide evidence of positive change in terms of individual/community behaviour, policy, institutional practices, a healthy environment, cultural change, funding, research, impact reduction, awareness, etc.
· How well did the program achieve key indicators for success?
· Describe any additional unanticipated outcomes e.g. inspiring other groups to take action.
3. Scale and broader impact. / · Were expected levels of awareness/understanding achieved or exceeded?
· Describe the extent to which your program has acted at both a local and regional level to enhance social and economic wellbeing.
· Can the program be replicated and used in other areas?
· Describe any positive community outcomes which resulted from your program: has the program enhanced the way in which local communities are playing their part to create a cleaner and more sustainable Victoria?
· Describe the extent to which the education program contributed to the broader challenges of environmental sustainability.
4. Innovative practices, technologies or standards developed or utilised. / · What makes your program innovative?
· Describe innovative practices, technologies, approaches and standards used in the:
- Educational processes
- Attraction and engagement of audience, and
- Delivery of sustainability outcomes.
· Provide evidence of improvement from standard practice where possible.
5. Partnerships formed and stakeholders engaged. / · Demonstrate levels, ranges and significance of partnerships developed.
· Describe the extent to which partnerships were maintained in planning, delivery and/or evaluation of the educational program.
· Describe the value of connections made with community and/or stakeholders in driving progress towards sustainability and the results achieved.
· Is there potential to develop useful partnerships in the future?
Environmental Protection Award