Coles Group Limited has been awarded for its water saving efforts at the savewater Awards, held at the Plaza Ballroom Melbourne on Friday 23 March.
Coles Group Ltd took out the built environment award for water wise developments to its extension of Target head office in Geelong, the building’s 1,600 square metre roof captures stormwater that is stored in 16 tanks positioned beneath the building. An interconnected piping system draws the water up to flush toilets within the building.
Department of Infrastructure and Danfab, and Greenmark Landscapes were also the finalists in the built environment category.
The savewater awards recognise and reward outstanding achievement in water conservation. The savewater award is an initiative of the savewater Alliance Inc., an alliance of metropolitan and regional water businesses from Victoria and New South Wales.
An expert panel consisting of academics and industry and government experts was there to decide upon the winners.
Coles Group Limited was honoured as its system could be easily replicated and it demonstrated long-term thinking and strategic planning by a large organisation to save water in a simple way.
Winners were announced in ten Victorian-based categories. The product innovations category was open nationwide representing the first time in the program’s five-year history that it has extended beyond Victoria.
Hume City Council won the night’s top honour, the overall Award for Excellence, for its municipal-wide initiatives.
Other savewater awards winners for 2006/07 are:
- Community Action: Heatherdale Tennis Club Inc for its waterless tennis courts.
- Individual Action: Janet Steele of Mitcham, for her sustainable home.
- Education Programs: Bentleigh West Primary School, for its wide-reaching and innovative program.
- Garden Management: Greenmark Landscapes, for it’s self-sustaining garden.
- Government: Hume City Council for its range of water saving initiatives across the municipality.
- Manufacturing: Qenos for water saving improvements to its manufacturing system. (Commendation to South Geelong’s Godfrey Hirst Australia)
- Primary Industries: Gippsland dairy farmers Darren and Michelle Berryman, for new irrigation technology trials.
- Product Innovations: Muller Industries Australia, for the Muller 3C, a hybrid alternative to cooling towers.
- Service Providers: Fishprint (Small Business) for its waterless printing press; and Yarra Trams East Preston Depot (Large Business) for its Green Depot pilot program.