The annual Banksia Awards are back in full swing and are accepting entries for 2015.

The most prestigious sustainability awards in Australia are now in their 26th year, recognising environmental excellence and sustainability across a range of categories and sectors. The Banksia Awards are run by the not-for-profit Banksia Foundation, which works with community and industry to promote positive contributions to the environment.

GECA has helped to develop a new category for the awards, called “Banksia Sustainability in Design, Build – Products for the Built Environment Award”. The category was first unveiled in 2014 under a different name and is rapidly gaining interest this year. It recognises outstanding achievement in improving sustainability through the design, manufacture and commercial application of a product(s). Read more.

DesignBUILD 2015 drew to a close on the 30th of April after another successful year.

The event, which was held at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, drew over 7,000 attendees from the building and construction industries and showcased products from over 250 companies.

GECA was pleased to be a partner of the event and presented a speaker session titled “What’s the value of third-party certification?”. The session was presented in a panel discussion format, chaired by GECA’s National Business Development Manager Bobby Ali-Khan, and included Achim Hoese from Regupol, Libby Staggs from Sustainable Business Matters, Trish Nicholls from Decor Systems, and Shaila Divakarla from GECA. The panel dove into questions such as the barriers to business for sustainable products, consumer attitudes, how manufacturers sell sustainability, the GECA certification process, and how third-party certification can bring value to businesses.

DesignBUILD will be on again in Melbourne for 2016.

Queensland couple Lee and Lee-Anne Stevens have long been dedicated to living in a non-toxic environment. When they discovered Lee-Anne was pregnant with their first child (Poppy, now 13 months), their planned renovation of their home in New Farm in Brisbane took on a whole new meaning.

Their vision for the renovation of the 1920s Queenslander was always to create a functional healthy family home using natural non-toxic products. For example, GECA certified ROCKCOTE EcoStyle Paints were selected for all interior and exterior walls for their zero VOC and non-toxic properties. Read more.

This month, Paula Clasby has joined the GECA team as our new Marketing and Administration Officer! Paula is a marketing professional with extensive experience in business strategy, communication and project management. With over 20 years in various roles in corporate health and safety to print and creative business solutions, that involved delivering creative direction and marketing management.

Her interest in health and environmental issues saw Paula working in corporate health for ten years, in a mix of management, marketing and editorial roles and playing an integral part in corporate health change. Paula draws on her skills and strong interest in environmental and health issues to market GECA’s vision for a society in which people demand sustainable products and services.

With every new manufacturer or supplier who comes on board with GECA, there are more ways you can choose products that have a lower environmental and human health impact, and are socially responsible too.

Sustainable Business Australia (SBA) is once again hosting the Fiona Wain Oration, now in its second year, on the 26th of May at the Art Gallery of NSW.

The Oration will again be delivered by a leading Australian. Amanda McKenzie, CEO of the Climate Council, will deliver her thoughts on the sustainability agenda and the future of our country.

Fiona Wain led Environment Business Australia (now known as Sustainable Business Australia) 2001 - 2010.  Ms Wain passed away in 2012 and this Oration is an annual commemoration of her tireless contribution to business and sustainability in Australia.

There is no charge for attending the Oration, but places are limited, so make sure you reserve your seat in advance! More details are available from SBA here.

Green Building Day 2015, the annual event held by the Green Building Council of Australia, is coming up next week in Sydney (19 May) and Melbourne (21 May).

The focus is on 'creating great places for people' and the program covers case studies, emerging technologies, future trends and the launch of exciting new initiatives.

There's a diverse range of speakers lined up for the event, and it's not too late to book tickets. Check out the Sydney or Melbourne pages for more information.

Ideaction, the National Facilities Management Conference and Exhibition, is on for 2015 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The event will be running from 24-27 May.

This "must attend" event is designed for professionals in the facilities management industry to come together and share information and research, innovative practices and case studies. Ideaction is predicted to attract around 250 professionals from around Australia and provides great networking opportunities.

Check out the website for more information and to register.