BCG national finalist in Banksia Environmental Awards

BCG has been selected as one of the four national finalists in the 2007 Banksia Environmental Awards in the Land & Biodiversity category.

The Banksia Environmental Foundation, established in 1989, is a national not-for-profit organisation that promotes environmental excellence and sustainabilitythrough its Awards program and other associated events. The Banksia Environmental Awards are regarded as the most prestigious environmental awards in Australia.

The Land & Biodiversity Award is for outstanding achievement in protecting and enhancing land systems, soil and biodiversity in Australia's terrestrial environments: at the species or ecosystem level.

With the development of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline, the BCG Diversity in a Piped System project assessed the biodiversity values of different water supply systems and found biodiversity levels on farms higher at sites with open water and at sites in woodlands. Trials of an experimental water point (pictured right) for wildlife found that they could increase the biodiversity value of a woodland and significantly maintain biodiversity at levels comparable with farm dams in woodlands. The announcement of being a finalist in the 2007 Banksia Environmental Awards has recognised BCG for their innovative and highly successful approach which is a simple, water efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining and enhancing wildlife values on farms in the Wimmera and Mallee. BCG has been invited to attend the series of official celebrations which includes the announcement of the winners at the 2007 Banksia Award Presentation in Sydney on 19-20 July 2007.