Finalist to the 2011 Premier’s Sustainability Awards

Last week, the finalists to the Premier’s Sustainability Awards were announced and we are one of the three contenders for the Community Award!!

This is an outstanding achievement as this prestigious award showcases the best in technology and creative thinking in delivering sustainable products and services to Victorians. All finalists are seen to be leaders in their respective fields. Category winners will be announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 9 June 2011.

Congratulations to all HomeChoices staff and residents who have supported the SustainAbility Stars program and everyone else at E.W. Tipping Foundation who is working to build a culture of sustainability. Good luck for the Awards Presentation!

Click here to view media release.

Community Involvement for Traralgon residents

A story from Stephen from our Traralgon house.

“[In March], me and David did Clean Up Australia Day together. I think it is a terrific idea and it went very well. And I want to do it again, cause it was good fun and it keeps the street clean and us busy cause we work hard.

Thank you to David and Stephen for their great work, and for sharing their story.

Smart Ideas from Regional Green Team

Talk about building a culture of sustainability across our services and operations at EWTF! Our team at the Preston office has been working smart and has kicked off with a few sustainability initiatives.

When they first moved into the offices, they called up the City of Darebin to request a recycling bin; and changed their Post Office box to a post office that is closer to the office so they can walk instead of drive. They do not have a secure bin service, so they shred the documents and take the shredded paper to the nearby pet shop. They turn out lights when the room is not in use, and only use heating and cooling when necessary - sometimes a short burst is all that’s needed to make the workspace comfortable.

Recently they purchased a fridge paying attention to the star rating for energy efficiency. They will further consider heating options for winter and things like draft stoppers for doors and windows, and some heavier curtains for the windows.

They have started a small herb garden in the court yard and are also planning for more green plants . The staff says that they are inspired by our SustainAbility Stars program and thought this was good way to show their support for our great initiatives in our HomeChoices homes.

Their smart ideas goes beyond the office - Trish, one of the staff at Preston office is such a talented sewer, she turned her husband’s old Fletcher Jones suit into a bag!!

Congratulations to the team at our Preston office for making a difference to the environment. We look forward to sharing similar stories of success from our other Regional Green teams
.

In this issue:

In Other News

Say Yes to a price on pollution

The most influential environmental NGOs and civil society groups have joined forces and worked together to launch a grassroots campaign to make sure 2011 is the year Australia puts a price on pollution. Click here to watch the video and to find out more about this movement and what it all means.

Walk the Block 17 May

Many of us spend around a third or more of our day at work and often it involves sitting at a desk for hours on end. Recent studies show a direct link between prolonged periods of sitting and increased incidence of cardio-vascular diseases, even for people who are generally healthy. Victoria Walks is encouraging us to get away from our desks and take a walk around the block on Tuesday 17 May. Click here for more details.

Sharing relevant resources

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s GreenHome Program is an environmental education program that works with communities to find individual and collective solutions to environmental issues. Their website contains a lot of useful and relevant information to our SustainAbilty Stars program. Take a look here.

Sustainability Expo at Cardinia Shire 10-11 June

Cardinia Council will host its second Sustainability Expo on 10- 11 June at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham. Highlights this year include a lunchtime composting workshop, free native plant giveaways, market stalls and sustainability magic shows

SustainAbility Star-ter Kit

For more information about EW Tipping Foundation’s SustainAbility Project, the SustainAbility Stars program, or to download our free SustainAbility Star-ter Kit, go to www.tipping.org.au or email sustainability@tipping.org.au