Far North Queensland shone in the 2011 Premier’s ClimateSmart Sustainability Awards held in Brisbane Friday 10^th June, with four awards going to local projects.

The Premier’s ClimateSmart Sustainability Awards program is the Queensland Government’s highest recognition of community and business leadership in sustainability, innovation and eco-efficiency.

Winners were selected from 154 nominations across 11 categories from Queensland community groups, small and large business and industry.

Gaia Farms from Silkwood won the ClimateSmart Rural award for outstanding environmentally sustainable farm management practices that reduce impacts on downstream waterways and the Great Barrier Reef.

Project Catalyst, a partnership with the Coca-Cola Company, WWF, and Reef Catchments involving ten cane growers from the Tully and Ingham district, won the ClimateSmart Partnership award and was a finalist in three categories.

Gordonvale State School received the ClimateSmart School Community Award for its innovative curriculum initiative called Excelsior: A Whole Community Approach to Sustainability which creates a culture of environmental sustainability within the school and local community, with an emphasis on long term behavioural change.

The ClimateSmart Built Environment Award went to Arup, MGF Consultants (NQ) & Gilboy Hydraulic Solutions for Stage two of William McCormack Place in Cairns as it is the first building in the tropics to be recognised with a World Leader 6-Star Green Star Office Design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

ClimateSmart Awards:

• Premier’s ClimateSmart Award: Wagners CFT Manufacturing – Earth Friendly Concrete
• Minister’s Award for ClimateSmart Leadership: Alex Fraser Queensland
• ClimateSmart School Community Award: Gordonvale State School
• ClimateSmart Partnership Award: Project Catalyst
• ClimateSmart Community Award: Sustainable Jamboree
• ClimateSmart Built Environment Award: Arup, MGF Consultants (NQ) & Gilboy Hydraulic Solutions – William McCormack Place 2
• Innovation in ClimateSmart Technologies Award: Wagners CFT Manufacturing – Earth Friendly Concrete
• ClimateSmart Rural Award: Gaia Farms
• Industrial Eco-efficiency ClimateSmart Award: Nursery Traders
• Corporate ClimateSmart Award: Downer EDI Mining
• ClimateSmart Clean Energy Innovation Award: Aussie Paddington
• ClimateSmart Small Business Award: Buyequip

For more detail on winners and finalists:

http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/premiersawards/2011finalists_winners.html#climatesmart_built_environment_award