Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards Reveals State's Most Earth-Friendly Projects

This year's Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards have identified the best the state has to offer in terms of environmentally-conscious design and building practices.

Sustainability Victoria’s interim chief executive, Stephanie Ziersch, said the awards showed how management of environmental issues was of growing importance for not just individuals, but businesses.

Ziersch said the projects nominated were examples of developments that would have positive long-term effects on society, cities and our way of life.

“Each year, the Premier’s Sustainability Awards continue to discover Victoria’s best and most inspiring Victorian individuals, organisations and businesses which are developing and implementing new sustainable practices."The Nightingale development by Breathe architecture was recognised for its committed to sustainable design, taking out the built environment category for its first iteration of the Nightingale model: Nightingale 1.

[Related reading: Nightingale Licenses Collaborative Model To Private Developer]

Nightingale 1: Bonnie Herring (Director at Breathe Architecture), the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Lily D’Ambrosio and Angela Perry (Director at Nightingale Housing)

[Related reading: Deliberative Development And The ‘Uberisation’ Of Housing Markets]The Nightingale model cuts out the traditional developer, limiting investor profit margin in an architect-led model which seeks to transform the way urban housing is conceived, funded and designed.

Melbourne company, eWater Systems, won the Premier's recognition award for developing water splitting technology which is used to clean and sanitise facilities such as hospitals, schools, manufacturing businesses and restaurants chemical free.

Exemplar Health walked away as winner of both the large business category and the Premier’s Regional Recognition Award for developing the new Bendigo Hospital, Victoria’s largest rural hospital, and integrating sustainability into all elements of the site’s design, construction and systems.

Exemplar Health was recognised particularly for how they balanced the hospital's design response with cost effective initiatives, resilient infrastructure, significant energy efficiency in operation and ease of on-going maintenance. The project integrates sustainable thinking into all elements of the site’s design, construction and systems to create a healing and therapeutic environment.

The Premier’s Sustainability Awards, now in its 15th year, recognise and celebrate Victorians who are leading the way to a sustainable future.

The awards offered 10 award categories to enter in 2017.

Main image: Render of Exemplar Health's new Bendigo Hospital.

The 2017 Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards winners

Built Environment
Nightingale Housing – Nightingale 1 (Brunswick)The Nightingale model is a new housing development system that enables like-minded architects to develop design-led, multi-residential housing that is environmentally, financially and socially sustainable.
Community
The Nature Conservancy Australia – Shuck Don’t Chuck Recycling Project (Greater Geelong)A reef restoration project that is regenerating the natural environment by rebuilding shellfish reefs with leftover oyster shells collected from local seafood restaurants.
Education
CERES – Sustainability and Alternative Pathways (East Brunswick)This sustainability leader celebrates 35 years of community-based learning and action. CERES’ work benefits the environment, is socially just, economically and culturally satisfying and helps to deliver better ways of living together.
Environmental Justice
Friends of the Earth - Coal and Gas Free Victoria (Collingwood)An awareness campaign run across regional Victoria through more than 100 forums alerts communities to the potential threat of fracking and addresses the question of unconventional gas drilling.
Environmental Protection
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park – Orange-bellied Parrot Breeding for Recovery Program (Mornington Peninsula)Development of a 20-aviary complex for up to 40 breeding birds resulted in 25 offspring from 12 pairs in the first season. The project is helping to save this endangered species from extinction.
Government
Moreland City Council – Moreland Urban Heat Island Effect Action Plan (Moreland)A 2016–2026 plan sets a clear approach for Council. It maps out vital projects needed for Moreland to transition to a cooler, greener and more resilient and liveable city.
Health
Western Health – Single Use Metal Instruments Recycling Program (St Albans)This program recycles single-use metal instruments (SUMIs) which are an obvious waste of high-quality metals. The program has recovered around 500kgs of recycled steel, representing approximately 80% of all SUMIs purchased. This project can be used in any hospital.
Innovative Products or Services
eWater Systems – eWater Systems (South Yarra)eWater Systems is a world-recognised company that has developed a ‘water-splitting’ technology that is used to clean and sanitise facilities like hospitals, schools, manufacturing businesses and restaurants.
Large Business
Exemplar Health (NBH) Partnership - New Bendigo Hospital (Bendigo)Victoria’s largest regional hospital integrates sustainable thinking into all elements of its design, construction and systems to create a healing and therapeutic environment.
Small and Medium Enterprises
Kingfield Galvanizing – Sustainable Hot Dip Galvanizer (Somerton)A large, sustainable and highly-automated galvanising plant produces significantly low emissions through a fully enclosed facility that re-uses waste, reclaims furnace heat and recycles.