Green push catches their eyes

THE City of Casey has been recognised for its commitment to the environment and sustainable development.
The local council was nominated as a finalist in the 2013 Banksia Sustainability Awards in the local government category.
This award recognises organisational leadership in sustainability principles, practices and activities at all operational levels.
City of Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon said Casey was the only Victorian finalist among many councils in Australia to be nominated.
“Casey is a leader in integrating sustainability into its operations and services and has been nominated for its long term strategic plan (C21), Council Plan and Sustainability Plan,” she said.
“Council’s C21 vision of making Casey sustainable is being achieved through embedding sustainability considerations in staff work across the organisation, and a proactive and creative approach to community engagement and citizen participation that helps to improve the environment.”
The council has been recognised for a number of sustainability initiatives including the following.
* Investing $2 million in stormwater harvesting projects to improve water quality and reduce use of drinking water.
* Developing an Emissions Management Plan to cost effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
* Investing millions of dollars in ‘green refurbishments’ of leisure centres across Casey to reduce energy and water use and save on bills.
The team at the City of Casey are proud to be nominated as finalists for these awards which since their inception in 1980, have become the most prestigious environmental awards in Australia.
“Being nominated for such a prestigious award is something Casey should be very proud of,” Cr Stapledon said.
Winners of the awards will be announced on Wednesday 9 October.