TOP SMART STATE INNOVATIONS WIN EPA ENVIRONMENT AWARDS

Embargoed until 9.30pm Monday 21 May 2007

Seven outstanding Queensland environmental business projects have been honoured at the second annual Environmental Protection Agency Sustainable Industries Awards this evening, while an eighth awardee has received the inaugural Premier’s Award for Leadership in Business Sustainability.

Premier Peter Beattie said the award winners were selected from almost 100 nominations, each showcasing Queensland business leaders, companies and technologies that were setting new benchmarks in environmental performance.

“Several world-first water, energy, and greenhouse gas-abating initiatives and projects, including fibre optic lighting and ground-breaking sustainable building designs, feature in the awards tonight,” Mr Beattie said.

“The awards recognise Queensland-based companies that are incorporating environmental sustainability into their everyday business operations.

“These companies recognise that sustainable practices can also deliver better profits and market advantages.”

“Collectively, these companies are significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in their waste production, and energy and water use, which is crucial in a changing climate and during the worst drought in 100 years,” Mr Beattie said. “The award recognises an outstanding individual contribution to sustainable business and community leadership.”

The Chair of Conics Limited and adjunct professor of Built Environment at QUT, Jim McKnoulty, received the Premier’s Award for Leadership in Business Sustainability.

“Mr McKnoulty was selected for his demonstrated leadership through a diverse range of roles in sustainable land development,” Mr Beattie said.

“Over the past 25 years, Mr McKnoulty has worked to forge partnerships between industry, government and the community to foster sustainable urban planning and development across Queensland.”

Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism, Lindy Nelson-Carr, said the Environmental Protection Agency Sustainable Industries Awards demonstrated that smart Queensland-based companies continued to lead Australia and the world in business sustainability.

Ms Nelson-Carr said the impressive quality of all the entrants highlighted the effort being made by many businesses to profit from innovation while doing the right thing by the environment.

“The awards focus on eco-efficient, sustainable practices adopted by industry and businesses throughout Queensland,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

The 2007 EPA Sustainable Industries Awards ceremony was held in partnership with the 8th National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development.

More information about the awards can be obtained at www.epa.qld.gov.au or through the EPA Sustainable Industries Division on 3225 1999.

The other 2007 EPA Sustainable Industries Awards winners announced tonight were:

Minister’s Award for ClimateSmart Leadership – SALA Homes
SALA Homes has been building environmentally friendly homes since 2002 and has a strategy to bring sustainably designed and built houses to the mass market. Each house reduces its impact on the environment by generating electricity through solar power, and harvesting and recycling its own water.

Corporate Sustainability Award – Investa Property Group
Developer and manager of several high-rise buildings in the Brisbane CBD, the international Investa Property Group is integrating sustainability as a key business strategy. As a result of its corporate sustainability strategy, in the last 12 months Investa’s properties have reduced electricity use by 14 percent and have reduced water consumption by more than 17 percent.

Industrial Eco-efficiency Award – IKEA, Logan
IKEA’s new Logan store, south of Brisbane, gave the company an opportunity to use the very best water and energy-efficient technologies, designed to save more than 60 percent of the running costs of a conventional centre of this size.

Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award– Poly Optics Australia Pty Ltd
Gold Coast lighting company Poly Optics Australia Pty Ltd won the Hatch Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award for its world first, energy-efficient fibre optic lighting system that produces no heat, contains no fragile glass, consumes less energy, and lasts 10 to 20 years with little or no maintenance.

Rural Sustainability Award – Lawrence Bugeja (Mackay Canegrowers)
Lawrence Bugeja, an innovative third-generation cane farmer nominated by Mackay Canegrowers Limited, is a leader in sugar industry sustainability initiatives, including best-practice farm management systems. Mr Bugeja’s farms have become learning centres, with school children and interest groups conducting experiments and monitoring water quality.