Media Release 22nd August 2012
Embargoed until 12noon 22nd August
(please do not contact the winners listed below til after the event 10am-12noon 22nd August)
Merici College tops the lot at the Keep Australia Beautiful ACT Sustainable
Cities Awards.
Merici College has won the ACT Sustainable Cities Awards for 2012 for their unique Kitchen Garden
Program. An initiative of Keep Australia Beautiful ACT, the awards are open to community, business
and all levels of government in the ACT and celebrate achievement in litter reduction and the
broader sustainability agenda including water and energy conservation.
As well as winning the overall award, Merici College also took home the “Young Legends” category
award. Over the past year Merici College has worked hard to establish its Kitchen Garden Program.
The school has several large garden beds which are used to grow produce for the canteen. The
canteen offers students and staff healthy, cheap, locally sourced, freshly cooked meals and snacks
on a daily basis.
“Merici College was a standout applicant, its back to basics practical sustainability living is great for
the environment, peoples health and social wellbeing. Producing fruit and vegetables in their
kitchen garden saves money, reduces food miles and teaches people important environmental
lessons. The way in which Merci College has involved the whole community is invaluable and worthy
of strong recognition.” Said Peter McLean, Executive Officer of Keep Australia Beautiful.
“Special needs students from the Black Mountain School, the senior hospitality classes use the
produce to cook meals which are sold at the canteen and an indigenous garden is being created
which demonstrates wider community involvement” Peter McLean Said.
Other winners of category awards included The ACTSmart Public Event program, Wanniassa Hills
Primary School Sustainable Hothouse, Jigsaw Housing, The Australian National University, Rudds
Consulting Engineers’ Compass House, and the U.S. Embassy Canberra.
Chair of the ACT Judging Committee, Rolfe Hartley, said “Let’s hope that more schools look to Merici
College for inspiration to begin similar environmentally sustainable programs. Merici College will
now go on to represent the ACT in the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards to be held in November.”
The awards were held yesterday at CIT’s Sustainable Skills Training Hub, which was the overall
winner last year. Guests were treated to a tour of the Hub before settling in to the morning tea
presentation of which David Papps, Director General of the Environment and Sustainable
Development Directorate, was Guest of Honour. Other guest speakers included Caroline Le Couteur
of the ACT Greens, and ACT representative of the LITTLE Committee, Patrick Walker who spoke to
the largely young audience about how youth can address litter issues.
Keep Australia Beautiful would like to thank sponsors The Do the Right Thing Program of the
Australian Food and Grocery Council’s Packaging Stewardship Forum, Fuji Xerox, Australian National
University and in kind supporter Canberra Institute of Technology for assisting KAB to run the awards
program in its 8th year.
Media Enquiries
 KAB Publicity: Peter McLean, National Executive Officer, 0416 227 158, neo@kab.org.au
 Merici College: Eliza Hopkins, 0421 387 894, eliza.hopkins@merici.act.edu.au
 Judge Committee: Rolfe Hartley, Chair, 0418 285 634, rolfe.hartley@bigpond.com
Results table
Category
Community Action,
Partnerships and Culture
Winner
The ACTSmart Public Event
program
Highly Commended
Isabella Plains Early Childhood
School
“Dame Phyllis Frost”
Litter Prevention
Resource Recovery
Environmental Innovation
The ACTSmart Public Event
program
Wanniassa Hills Primary School
Sustainable Hothouse
Jigsaw Housing
Hawker Primary School “Waste
Free Days - Making a Difference”
Hawker Primary School “Waste
Free Days - Making a Difference”
Isabella Plains Early Childhood
School
Environmental Protection
Water Conservation
The Australian National University
The Australian National University
Energy Efficiency
Compass House - Rudds
Consulting Engineers
Sustainable Buildings and
Gardens Residential
Sustainable Buildings and
Gardens Commercial
U.S. Embassy Canberra
Jigsaw Housing
The Australian National
University/ Compass House Rudds Consulting Engineers
Merici College’s Kitchen Garden
Program
Hawker Primary School “Waste
Free Days - Making a Difference”
Young Legends
Overall
Editor’s Notes:
Merici College’s Kitchen Garden
Program
The ACT Sustainable Cities Awards are sponsored by:
The Do the Right Thing Program of the Australian Food and Grocery Council’s Packaging
Stewardship Forum
The Packaging Stewardship Forum of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, works with partners
across the nation to deliver industry recycling, litter reduction and education programs on behalf of
its members, Australia's major beverage companies and their packaging suppliers. The Forum's
highly successful Do the Right Thing anti-litter campaign is recognised by more than 80% of
people. More than 500 towns and cities around Australia are now taking the Do the Right Thing
message to their communities.
Fuji Xerox
Fuji Xerox Australia is a world leading enterprise for business and document management
services. Through its broad portfolio of document technology, services, software and supplies, Fuji
Xerox Australia provides essential back-office support that clears the way for customers to focus on
their core business. With awards from the United Nations and the Banksia Environmental
Foundation, Fuji Xerox Australia is well recognised for its commitment to sustainability. For more
information, visit www.fujixerox.com.au or www.fxasustainability.com.au
ANUgreen is the Australian National University’s award-winning environmental management
program.
They are committed to:


Developing innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the University’s
research, teaching and operations.
Providing leadership in the pursuit of sustainability through community engagement and
outreach.