Media Release by Senator the Hon Kay Patterson

National recognition for community business partnerships

Fifteen community business partnerships have made it through to the national finals of the 2005 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships.

The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson, today congratulated the partnerships, businesses and community groups from across Australia, for their contribution to the Australian business sector and local communities.

“The finalists in this year’s Awards are innovative, inspirational and demonstrate what can be achieved when business, government and community organisations join forces to help their communities,” Senator Patterson said.

“Now in their seventh year, the Prime Minister’s Awards honour outstanding partnerships which are actively contributing to social cohesion and a better Australia.

“They also recognise the positive opportunities and contributions partnerships make to building stronger communities through shared commitment, energy and creativity.”

The Large Business Category finalists are:

  • Lend Lease and the Abraham Mott Centre and partners, NSW
  • Minter Ellison and CEO Challenge, Queensland
  • Citigroup Australia and YWCA NSW, NSW

The Medium Business Category finalists are:

  • PMI Mortgage Insurance and Habitat for Humanity Australia, NSW
  • Publicis Mojo and Abused Child Trust, Queensland
  • Jacobs Sverdrup Australia and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, WA
  • J J O’Connor and Sons and the Birchip Cropping Group, Victoria

The Small Business Category finalists are:

  • Prime Television Wollongong, WAVE FM and the Illawarra Division of General Practice, NSW
  • Coffee Basics Café & Roastery Castlemaine with Tarrengower Women’s Prison Campus – BRIT and the ZONTA Club of Kyneton, Victoria
  • Grinder Corporate Catering and Mackay North State High School, Queensland

The finalists for the Special Award – Longevity are:

  • The Midland Brick Company and the Hills Community Support Group, WA
  • Microsoft Ltd and Work Venture Ltd

The finalists for the Special Award – Impact On A Community are:

  • BHP Billiton with the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, the Foundation for Young Australians, the Melbourne Business School, the Powerhouse (Victoria) and Reconciliation Australia
  • The Shell Company of Australia with Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre, Conservation Volunteers Australia, The Smith Family, the Centre for Community Child Health and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
  • Insurance Australia Group and key partners St John Ambulance Australia, KidSafe, Volunteer Rescue Association, Surf Life Saving Australia, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Salvation Army Emergency Services, and the Kings Cross Retreat Program for the socially disadvantaged

“Partnerships provide enormous personal benefits for the people and organisations involved, such as increased morale, creation of a teamwork approach across organisations, and the satisfaction of seeing their combined efforts making a real difference to the community.

“I congratulate all the finalists on their achievements and the many other fine community business partnerships which are working to strengthen the Australian community,” Senator Patterson said.

The national award winning partnerships in both the Business and Special Award will each receive $10 000 towards the extension of their community project.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, and Senator Patterson will announce the national winners at an awards ceremony in Melbourne on 19 October.

Detailed profiles of the national finalists in the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships 2005 are attached.

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2005 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships

Large Business Category finalists

Lend Lease and the Abraham Mott Centre for the Millers Point Youth and Employment Partnership – a collaboration of 11 organisations including Westpac, Sydney Cove Rotary, Millers Point Residents Action Group and The Rocks Chamber of Commerce. The partnership has implemented a four-tier mentoring programme for young people in the area and in 2005 it also facilitated Rockfest05, a film festival for young people.

Minter Ellison Brisbane and CEO Challenge for their collaboration in facilitating partnerships, which addresses domestic and family violence. The law firm has become a public advocate, speaking out about domestic violence and has worked with CEO Challenge to raise awareness of domestic violence issues within its own organisation.

Citigroup Australia with YWCA NSW for their partnership on the Finance First project, which is an education initiative to improve the financial literacy of children and their families in disadvantaged communities.

Medium Business Category finalists

PMI Mortgage Insurance and Habitat for Humanity Australia for providing affordable housing for disadvantaged families.

Advertising agency Publicis Mojo in Brisbane and Abused Child Trust who have combined their services to help people who have suffered through child abuse and successfully raise awareness of child abuse issues.

Jacobs Sverdrup Australia and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council for drawing up an economic development strategy for the Noongar people of South West Australia.

Farm machinery supplier, J J O’Connor and Sons and the Birchip Cropping Group joined forces to conduct agricultural research programmes, trials, events and projects to bolster the farm incomes of growers in the Wimmera and Mallee region.

Small Business Category finalists

Prime Television Wollongong, WAVE FM and the Illawarra Division of General Practice, which uses the extensive reach of television and radio to promote health issues in the Illawarra region.

Business groups – Coffee Basics Café and Roastery Castlemaine, and the community organisations – Tarrengower Women’s Prison Campus – BRIT and the ZONTA Club of Kyneton for their partnership of providing female prison inmates with business skills and training.

Grinder Corporate Catering and Mackay North State High School who are working together with hospitality students in Mackay to provide valuable real life work experience.

The Special Award – Longevity finalists

The Midland Brick Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boral Group, and the Hills Community Support Group, have been working with youth at risk and marginalised youth and their families for more than 20 years.

Microsoft Ltd and Work Venture Ltd, who for the past 18 years have been working as partners, providing IT skills and training to the unemployed and disadvantaged aiming to bridge the digital divide internationally.

Special Award – Impact On A Community finalists

BHP Billiton which has developed strategic partnerships with five partners to support Indigenous leadership in Australia – the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, the Foundation for Young Australians, the Melbourne Business School, the Powerhouse (Vic) and Reconciliation Australia. The common goal of the partnerships is to create positive sustainable outcomes for young Indigenous people, the community partner organisations, the business and Australian society.

The Shell Company of Australia (Shell) has strategically grown its social investment program through strong community business partnerships focusing on the environment, education and health and the opportunity for employee involvement. Its major partners are Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre, Conservation Volunteers Australia, The Smith Family, the Centre for Community Child Health and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Insurance Australia Group (IAG)’s community investment policy integrates its community programs across the organisation and its brands. Its key partners are St John Ambulance Australia, KidSafe, Volunteer Rescue Association, Surf Life Saving Australia, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Salvation Army Emergency Services, and the Kings Cross Retreat Program for the socially disadvantaged.