Awards For Excellence in   Community Business Partnerships 2007 

SA Small Business Encouragement Award – Joint Winners

Salisbury High School with the Construction Industry Training Board

This unique industry government partnership ‘Doorways2construction’ between the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS), Housing SA, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) is a building and construction industry vocational program for young school students. Its primary aim is to help young people make decisions regarding building and construction as a career pathway.

For students, the partnership provides a clear transitional pathway to employment opportunities in the building and construction industry. For the industry, and their clients, there is access to a young and committed workforce, cost efficiencies and the industry attracting young people already committed to this career pathway. For Housing SA, the program provides positive publicity for public housing and cost effective housing.

Gemtree Vineyards Pty Ltd with Greening Australia, SA

This partnership centres on the rehabilitation of a badly degraded 10 hectare site owned by Gemtree Vineyards.

Gemtree Vineyards make a financial contribution to Greening Australia based on wine sales and provides on-site support in the form of tools, equipment, portable toilets, barbecue facilities etc. All of the company’s employees are actively participating in the management of the rehabilitation site, thus contributing their knowledge of local conditions and helping to develop the company's relationships with the community.

Greening Australia is contributing its environmental know-how, its volunteer management skills and its ability to attract support from a wide cross-section of the community, including the corporate sector.

By enlisting the environmental and technical expertise of Greening Australia SA, Gemtree Vineyards has attracted extensive community support - from a range of individual volunteers, service organisations and school groups - in the rehabilitation of a 10 hectare site located within their property. The partnership has enhanced the company's standing as an environmentally conscious corporation.

Greening Australia SA has, as a direct result of the partnership, boosted its delivery of vegetation services to the McLaren Vale region by 25 percent. The partnership has also helped to enhance Greening Australia's brand recognition and exposure, which in turn has enabled it to attract large numbers of new volunteers from around the state.

SA Large Business Award

BHP Billiton with Friends of Arid Recovery

Arid Recovery is an ecosystem restoration conservation program in South Australia’s far north. Now in its tenth year, the program is based around an 86km2 reserve from which all cats, rabbits and foxes have been eradicated. This has created an area of complete protection allowing regeneration of native flora and fauna and the reintroduction of four locally extinct mammal species.

The program represents a unique four-way partnership between government, education, community and industry. Arid Recovery is overseen by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from each founding organisation. The inclusion of an industry partner, in particular the mining industry, in a conservation program is a significant achievement. Their aim is to demonstrate the value of partnerships and promote the establishment of similar partnerships for further environmental benefit around Australia. They also play a role in a public awareness campaign in educating the local and wider community about arid zone conservation. Arid Recovery is now well known nationally and internationally amongst conservation organisations and also with the mining industry.

BHP is the major provider of ongoing funding and capital; they also donated the reserve land and allow research to be conducted on surrounding pastoral land. Staff support and advice have also been provided including 20 BHP staff currently actively involved with various projects at the reserve. Communications equipment and direction through participation in a steering committee are also key contributions.

BHP has benefited by becoming better informed about the Australian native environment, resulting in environmentally safer work practices; increased staff morale through hands on training in environmental management; research and development; tax concessions with investment into research; increased national and international awareness and improved reputation.

The funding provided by BHP has clearly assisted the Friends of Arid Recovery to progress their mission. The partnership has also provided the benefits of “back of house” support, capital, a matched giving program from BHP as well as skills and knowledge in natural resource management. A key benefit has been the increased understanding of the work undertaken to raise awareness of the environmental need.

Previous: Winners - QLD Next: Winners - TAS