I am pleased to announce the six winning partnerships of the 2005 Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships in recognition of their contribution to the vitality and resilience of Australian communities.
A community business partnership is simply a business and a community organisation working together to improve the life of the community to which they both belong. While partnerships take many forms, the good ones have common elements. They are formed because people care and because businesses recognise the importance of contributing to the community.
These partnerships are strengthening local communities in the areas of health and housing, improving the lives of young people, helping to bridge the digital divide and building capacity in indigenous communities around Australia.
These Awards cover five categories: large, medium and small business and two special awards for Impact on a Community and Longevity.
The Large Business Award was presented to Lend Lease and the Abraham Mott Centre - City of Sydney, with 10 other partner organisations including Westpac, Sydney Cove Rotary, Millers Point Residents Action Group and The Rocks Chamber of Commerce.
The Millers Point Youth and Employment Partnership implemented a four-tier mentoring programme for young people in the inner-Sydney community, linking business with community groups and local youth.
PMI Mortgage Insurance and Habitat for Humanity Australia were presented with the Medium Business Award, for providing housing for lower income families assisting them to break out of the rental and poverty cycle.
The Small Business Award was won by Prime Television, WAVE FM and the Illawarra Division of General Practice for their long-term commitment to the health and wellbeing of Illawarra residents.
BHP Billiton won the Special Award for Impact on a Community for its partnerships with the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, the Foundation for Young Australians, the Melbourne Business School, the Powerhouse (Victoria) and Reconciliation Australia.
This strategic alignment enabled BHP Billiton and its partners to achieve a range of outcomes for young indigenous people, whilst sharing a common objective of supporting and fostering indigenous leadership.
The calibre of nominations in the Special Award for Longevity was of such a high standard that there were joint winners, with the WA partnership between Midland Brick Company and Hills Community Support Group, and the NSW partnership between Microsoft Ltd and Work Ventures Ltd, both taking the honours.
Both of these Special Award partnerships have made a real difference in their communities, assisting disadvantaged youth, improving employment prospects and providing training and mentoring opportunities in their local communities.
I congratulate the excellent enterprises that both nominated for and won State and Territory awards in August, as well as those community business partnerships not nominated for awards but which continue to have a positive influence in their local communities.
These award-winning partnerships are proof strong partnerships make tangible and positive differences to the people involved and to the communities in which they live.
Each winning partnership will receive $10,000 towards the extension of their community projects.