Armidale based disability services provider, The Ascent Group, has become an official sustainability role model operation. In early 2011, it joined the Northern Inland Sustainable Business Network (NISBN) delivered NSW Government Sustainability Advantage program. There are 14 of the region’s progressive businesses and organisations in the program and The Ascent Group is only one of three to achieve Bronze Membership.
The 57-year-old organis-ation was looking to ensure it was as environmentally and financially sustainable as possible and CEO of The Ascent Group, Kevin Mead, said that the Sustainability Advantage program provided structure and a starting point for their efforts. “Sustainability Advantage offers 12 modules and we chose three to begin with: ‘Vision, Commitment and Planning’; ‘Resource Efficiency’; and ‘Staff Engagement’,” he said. “We have introduced a software system called ‘Resource Tracker’, which enables us to measure the gains we’ve made in regards to electricity, gas, water, paper, waste and fuel.”
A water harvesting project has been completed at The Ascent Group’s Acacia Park Head Office and Business Centre. A NSW Government Climate Change Fund Community Savers program contributed $33,783 to the project, involving two water tanks with a combined capacity of almost 100,000 litres. The aim is to harvest up to two million litres of water over the next 10 years. It is used for garden watering, laundry and toilet flushing, resulting in the organisation becoming 50 per cent self-sufficient in its water needs.
The Ascent Group’s recently built ‘Walker House’ is considered ‘best-practice’ in residential disability care and sustainability. It is home to five disabled people with high level care needs. The facility boasts a solar passive design, solar hot water and electricity generation, a hydronic (hot water based) heating system, water harvesting and a water-wise garden, designed by celebrity gardener Brendan Moar and built by the Rotary Club of Armidale.
Smaller scale measures have made a difference. “Our photocopiers are on ‘draft’ and ‘double-sided’ whenever appropriate, making them twice as efficient. We’ve put timers on items like air-conditioners and changed over old toilets to half-flush models. Cleaning products are environmentally friendly and dispensed in measured quantities,” Mr Mead said.
Mr Mead said that the big benefit for his organisation in being part of NISBN, has been the ability to work with and learn from the 13 other businesses and organisations across the region. “You learn to see all the different ways that people have approached the concept of sustainability, in terms of efficiency, cost-saving, environmental impact reduction and long-term organisation sustainability.
“In the disability and community care services sector, financial resources are very limited and every dollar we can save is a dollar that we can turn back into our service provision,” he said.
Becoming more sustain-able is part of being an ‘employer of choice’, according to Mr Mead. “An Employer of Choice can be seen by its staff to be active and positive in all areas of the community, particularly in areas that are important to people. Being an organis-ation that is working to improve its sustainability enables your staff to feel that they are working for an employer that is proactive and doing the right thing. Attracting and retaining good staff is made easier when the employer is seen to have the right ethos.”
Staff engagement in sustainability has been a two-way street for The Ascent Group. It made ‘Save Power Kits’ available to its 120 employees, so they could make energy savings at home.
The Ascent Group’s internal sustainability journey follows on from its recycling business, which reduces environmental impact from the Armidale district’s business sector. “In office paper and cardboard recycling and confidential shredding, we are processing 50 to 80 tonnes a month,” he said.
Local businesses inter-ested in sustainability programs can visit: www.nisbn.org.au and www.environment.nsw.gov.au/sustainbus/sustainabilityadvantage.htm
