Partnership Wins PM's Award!!

Wed, Jul 21, 2004; by Bill Coppinger.

Community Business Partnership Awards 2004

Senator, The Honourable Kay Patterson, The Minister for Family and Community Services, today congratulated Transfield Services (Australia) and Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network for winning the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership Large Business Encouragement Award, for their Puckapunyal and Districts Community Partnership Program, which is designed to address critical local issues including infrastructure, youth migration and skills training for young people.

'All these award winners are a powerful demonstration of the multiple community benefits created by business and community sectors working together and combining their talents and resources,' Senator Patterson said speaking at the statewide presentation in the Zinc Federation Square, Melbourne.

In attendance were approximately 100 of the state finalists and nominees from businesses and community organisations across the state.

To accept the award on behalf of Transfield Services and the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment network were Mr .Gerard Hard, Acting Chairperson of the Central Ranges LLEN, Ms. Christine Cox, from 'The Factory' and CRLLEN Board Member, Ms. Mary McGillian, head of Campus, Goulburn Ovens Tafe, Seymour, Mr. Terry Collins, Puckapunyal Base Manager, Dr. John Prince and Mr. Neil Birchnell from Transfield Services and Mr. Bill Coppinger CEO of the LLEN.

A copy of the acceptance speech can be downloaded here

Transfield Services and the Central Ranges Local and Learning Employment Network (CRLLEN) have developed an agreement to build and contribute to community sustainability for the Seymour district and region through an innovative and ground-breaking partnership for the region. In a series of short, mid and longer-term collaborations that will span an initial period of 2-3 years, the partnership will support and pursue a “high skills” or [skills footprint] approach to its involvement with the Puckapunyal and Seymour communities.

We believe, as does the senior management of Transfield Australia, that this is a model that can be used by other communities across Victoria, and certainly a model Transfield intends to use nationally, pending the results of this ground-breaking project.

Included in the partnership is a commitment to look at a range of initiatives to support the transition of young people from school to work. A "partnership matrix" has been established that sets some broad goals for the 2-3 year period of the partnership. These goals include such things as involvement in work education programmes, infrastructure support for local community projects, industry network forums and collaborations with training providers to assist the spouses and children of those on the base, just to name a few.

Launched in November 2003 at the Puckapunyal Army Base by Mr. Peter Watson, Chief Executive Officer of Transfield Services, the initiative is designed to incorporate a range of approaches and partnerships within the Puckapunyal community and surrounding Seymour District.

The partners agree that the focus will remain

on what we call the ‘skill footprint’. These are activities that focus on improving the skills of those within our community and the longer-term sustainability of our towns and district. Of course no one project can achieve this alone, but already we believe we have raised a set of new standards and expectations within our community, that go beyond this one, albeit significant, project.

 

This is a partnership that was developed over eight months in early 2003, working closely with both Transfield Services senior management and the Deakin University Corporate Citizenship research unit and the partners are grateful for the guidance and support provided by Professor. David Birch, Dr. John Prince and the team at the Deakin Corporate Citizenship Research Unit.

 

Background to the Prime Minister's Awards

On November 30, 1999 Prime Minister John Howard and Senator Jocelyn Newman, the then Minister for Family and Community Services, convened the first meeting of The Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership—a group of prominent Australians committed to encouraging and enhancing partnerships between the business and community sectors. The Partnership followed on from the earlier work of the Community Partnerships Roundtable in 1998.

The name Community Business Partnership deliberately does not have the word "and" between "business" and "community". Business and community are subsets of each other and are inextricably part of each other. Those who work with the community are conducting business, and those who operate in the business sector (large or small) are part of the community—the broad community and specific communities. Mutually beneficial collaboration between business and community, as well as engagement and participation at an individual level, can provide more efficient and long-term solutions to community issues and build greater social cohesion.

Members of the Community Business Partnership are:

 

Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard, Chairman

Senator the Hon. Kay Patterson
Minister for Family and Community Services Deputy Chair

Ms Elizabeth Cham
Executive Director Philanthropy Australia

Ms Marina Darling
Managing Director CapoNero Group

Mr Robert Gerard AO
Chairman and Managing Director Gerard Corporation Pty Ltd

Mr David Gonski AO
Chairman Investec Wentworth Pty Ltd

Ms Elaine Henry
Chief Executive Officer The Smith Family

Mr Tony Howarth AO
Chairman AlintaGas Limited

Mr Rob Hunt AM
Managing Director Bendigo Bank

Mr Patrick McClure AO
Chief Executive Officer Mission Australia Group

Dr David Morgan
Chief Executive Officer Westpac Banking Corporation

Reverend The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes AC, MLC
Superintendent Wesley Mission

Mr Richard Pratt AC
Chairman Visy Industries

Mr Fergus Ryan
Company Director Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited

[Source: Business Community Partnerships ]