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Green businesses commended

Posted on November 7, 2009, 8:08am and updated on November 8, 2009 at 1:29 pm

Bedford Gambier Contracts is this year’s overall winner of the Mount Gambier City Council’s Blue Lake Business of the Year award.

The South East disability employment provider received the award at a ceremony at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening for implementing a range of water saving initiatives, including collecting stormwater for use on site, recycling water used in the nursery on its Mount Gambier premises and techniques to minimise evaporation from plants.

Bedford Gambier Contracts also harvests 1.8 million litres of rainwater for use on site, with one million litres to run off to the Blue Lake aquifer.

Now in its second year, City Council presents the environmental awards annually to local businesses and community groups recognising the positive work they do to protect the Blue Lake.

The runner-up in the business category of the Blue Lake Business of the Year award went to Mount Gambier waste management business Bin-it.

Bin-It owners Lindsay and Wilena Turnbull were praised for installing stormwater filtration pits on their business premises to protect groundwater from contaminants, installing a water storage tank, and for segregating recyclables in a way that the maximum amount of waste is recycled while protecting the environment.

The Mount Gambier Bowls Club won the award in the community group category for harvesting stormwater and saving 4.8 gigalitres of water per year with the installation of artificial turf, and for using low volume sprinklers on its garden areas.

The runner-up of the community group award went to South Gambier Football Club, which recently installed a water storage tank, capturing 600,000 litres of water per year, dual flush toilet systems, and water saving urinals and showerheads.

Bedford Gambier Contracts received $2000, a framed certificate and the retention of a perpetual Blue Lake watercolour painting for one year, while the Mount Gambier Bowls Club received $1000 and a framed certificate.

Runners-up received framed certificates.

The judging panel consisting of Cr Jim Maher, EPA manager Naomi Grey and climate change and sustainability advisor Dr Steb Fisher, considered water-saving initiatives and efforts to keep stormwater or groundwater clean, in choosing the winners.

Cr Maher said the awards were an opportunity to showcase often unsung heroes for incorporating good environmental practices into their businesses.

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