Built environment professionals are being encouraged to enter the Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards before the close date next month. 

Previous entrants have spouted the benefits of entering the awards, claiming higher staff morale, improved customer profiling with customers and stronger community relationships.

Recent research by Sustainability Victoria says that entrants not only demonstrate increased energy efficiencies and reduced bills through their sustainability projects, by telling their stories through the Awards they enjoy a range of other benefits.

Last year’s finalist in the Built Environment category was a partnership between the City of Greater Bendigo, Lovell Chen (architects and heritage consultants) and Nicholson Construction, for an extension to the Bendigo Soldier’s Memorial Institute, expected to be the first government building in Australia to be built to Passive House Standards.

“For us, these Awards were an opportunity for our project and the people involved to be recognised and celebrated,” says Nycole Wood, sustainability planner and engineer, City of Greater Bendigo.

“We had created a special building for our community, and it was important that we took a moment to stop and celebrate that achievement. We deliberately chose to enter the awards as a team – the client, the architect and the construction company, because we each played a critical role in the delivery of the final outcome, and we each deserved to be recognised.

Finalist in the Environmental Justice category, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, was acknowledged for its $6.2m upgrade to Elenara House, a 110 year old heritage-listed building in St Kilda that is home to vulnerable community residents.

“The Premier’s Sustainability Awards provided great recognition for DHHS and our consultant, ecoresults,” says Gabrielle Zdanius, Senior Project Manager, DHHS.

“The acknowledgement helped us to promote the project within the department and within government circles, and helped to champion the opportunity to others – showing how the project led by example for the community housing sector.”

“Now is the time for any group doing good sustainability work to highlight their sustainability through the Premier’s Sustainability Awards,” says Sustainability Victoria CEO, Stan Krpan.

Entries close at 5pm Thursday, 13 June, 2019.

Pictured: Elenara House. Image courtesy of Sustainability Victoria