Today, finalists for Australia's longest running and most prestigious sustainability awards have been announced.
The finalists in the 36th Banksia National Sustainability Awards inspire hope for a sustainable future while proving Australian organisations remain committed to having a positive impact on the environment and society.
With the judges having completed their difficult task of choosing the finalists, voting has now opened for the Banksia People's Choice Award.
With the support of Glow, people can now vote for their favourites among the 64 finalists across the 14 categories on the Banksia Foundation website. The eight finalists that receive the most public votes will then be shortlisted, with a nationally representative sample of Australian adults then picking the People's Choice Award winner.
Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond said the passion and dedication shown by this year's finalists was striking.
"Whether they were a sole operator or representing a large multinational, the passion and the pride in what they were doing really came through in their applications," Ms van Egmond said.
She said the judges were impressed with the calibre of the entries across the 14 categories, but were particularly inspired by the Built Environment and Infrastructure category.
"These finalists have all used sustainable practices to not only create beautiful spaces and precincts, but a lasting legacy for the communities that will use them."
The finalists for the Built Environment and Infrastructure award demonstrate the range of innovative and impact projects seen across the categories. Finalists for this category include:
- Bridge Housing's Glebe Aboriginal Women's Housing project, which upgraded an ageing inner city unit block to deliver sustainable, secure, affordable homes for Aboriginal women and children.
- Porous Lane's approach to creating healthier waterways and cooler cities while building a more circular economy, by using end-of-life tyres as an aggregate that allows for better groundwater stores.
- John Holland's Hobsons Bay Main Sewer Project, Australia's first net-zero infrastructure project that also delivered outstanding social inclusion and community engagement.
- McConnell Dowell Construction's level-crossing removal project on Mount Derrimut Road in Deer Park, truly integrating local First Nations stories into the built form, modelling an approach to engage with Traditional Owners during the planning phase.
- Laing O'Rourke and Sydney Metro's Central Station Metro project, which proudly transformed Australia's busiest railway station within a live operating environment, to enable long term customer growth and greater connectivity to multi-mode transport for the 118-year-old heritage landmark.
- Vicinity Centres' groundbreaking redevelopment of Chadstone Place has transformed the centre Australian-first net-zero carbon environment, elevating employee experience and delivering exceptional financial and environmental results.
A full list of finalists is available to view on the Banksia Foundation website.
Winners of the 36th Banksia National Sustainability Awards will be announced at a gala dinner on Thursday 3 April 2025.
