Southern Tablelands company wins national environment award
Fertspread has been honoured with the annual Fertilizer Industry ‘Kookaburra’ Environmental Award for its strong commitment to industry training and accreditation programs.
Mike Lee, General Manager of the Natural Resource Management Team, a joint initiative of the Australian Government’s Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Department and Environment and Heritage Department, presented the award to Paul Wyer, Director of Fertspread.
In accepting the Kookaburra Award, Mr Wyer said the company prided itself on selling, spreading and carrying fertilizer in an environmentally sound manner.
Fertspread is based in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales and specialises in the sale, transport and spreading of fertilizers and soil ameliorants.
One of Fertspread’s key products is ‘Agri-ash’, produced from Canberra’s water quality control centre.
Fertspread won the Kookaburra Award for its enthusiastic adoption and promotion of the fertilizer industry’s Fertcare and Accu-Spread programs.
Fertspread is one of the first companies in Australia to achieve Fertcare accreditation and has been heavily involved in its promotion within the industry.
Fertcare is a national training and accreditation program designed to ensure that farmers receive consistent and quality advice about fertilizer handling and use.
It was developed by the Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia (FIFA) and the Australian Fertiliser Services Association (AFSA). It also has the support of the National Landcare Program and Natural Heritage Trust, including funding for the development and promotion of the project.
Accu-Spread is an important component of the Fertcare program, based on a practical assessment of the performance of fertilizer spreading equipment to ensure evenness of application.
Nick Drew, Executive Manager for FIFA, congratulated Fertspread on the award win.
Mr Drew said the fertilizer industry as a whole could be proud of its proactive, positive approach to environmental excellence and eco-efficiency.
“The awards celebrate the efforts of companies like Fertspread who spend a great deal of resources on improving environmental outcomes,” he said.
The Kookaburra Award is one of four environmental awards presented annually by FIFA to acknowledge and promote eco-efficiency excellence within the fertilizer industry. The awards were established as part of an Eco-efficiency Agreement with the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage.
The 2004 awards were presented this month as part of the FIFA annual general meeting in Canberra.
The 2004 Fertilizer Industry Platypus Environmental Award went to CSBP Limited.
The Western Australian based fertilizer manufacturer, importer and distributor won the Platypus Award for ongoing research into best practice fertilizer use, as well as communication of best practice management strategies, particularly regarding product type and quantity, and the method and timing of application.
Mr Drew congratulated CSBP Fertilisers for actively communicating the benefits of improved nutrient management to farmers in terms of potential increases in profits per hectare, describing the company’s work as “eco-efficiency in action”.
Impact Fertilisers took home the Fertilizer Industry Eucalyptus Environmental Award for 2004 for establishing a storm-water retention and recycling system at its single superphosphate manufacturing plant in Hobart. Impact Fertilisers has also achieved Fertcare accreditation.
The 2004 Fertilizer Industry Snapper Environmental Award went to Garry Kuhn from Incitec Pivot Limited.
The Snapper Award is an individual honour, awarded to Mr Kuhn for his unwavering commitment to best practice fertilizer use.
Mr Kuhn has also made considerable contributions to fertilizer industry eco-efficiency strategies, such as the National Cadmium Management Strategy and Eco-efficiency Agreement. He has also been instrumental in the implementation and reporting of the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.
Ends
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(Click photo for larger image.)
Representatives from Fertspread, Catriona McAuliffe and Paul Wyer, were pleased to accept the 2004 Fertilizer Industry Kookaburra Environmental Award, presented by Mike Lee, General Manager of the Australian Government’s Natural Resource Management Team.
CONTACTS:
Paul Wyer
Fertspread
Phone: 02 4845 8288
Kathryn Loader
Jenny Gilbert Communications
Phone: 03 9878 1255
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