Brisbane Airport's vision to be Australia's sustainable airport has moved a step closer, with the Airport being named as one of three finalists in the 2009 Queensland Sustainable Industries awards category.

The awards, given by the Department of Environment and Resource Management, recognise leadership and innovation in business sustainability.

This year Brisbane Airport has handled a record 18 million passengers and is approaching the half way mark to its $3billion infrastructure expansion program spanning four major projects in road, terminal and runway expansions which will be completed by 2020.

The latest nomination follows a number of awards received by Brisbane Airport last year, that are very much on the back of Brisbane Airport's Sustainability achievements. Other awards include being awarded:

• The world's most 'Sustainable Water Manager' at the 2008 International Water Association in Europe
• Capital City Airport of the Year award by the Australian Airport's Association; and
• The Best Airport in the Australia-Pacific region in the prestigious Skytrax Awards

Brisbane Airport's ongoing commitment to the reduction of potable water use since 2004 has seen the airport's usage drop by over 72% with current water usage at 444ML - a saving equivalent to the annual potable water usage of 24,000 households in Brisbane under the current restriction regime.

Brisbane Airport Corporation's (BAC) Managing Director and CEO, Koen Rooijmans said that the nomination was further testimony to the innovative work BAC has been delivering through its environmental efficiency initiatives.

"The environment we have to work with on the airport has some additional complexities which make water efficiency incredibly difficult. On top of the close to 20 million passengers who travel through the airport each year, and of course over 100,000 visitors to the airport every day, additional safety requirements for aircraft operations have had to be addressed to mitigate dust suppression while huge construction projects are being undertaken over the coming years," Mr Rooijmans said.

"We are the international gateway to Queensland, so we must ensure we have pleasant landscaping and surroundings for visitors. All this must be done across 2,700 hectares - a piece of land three times the size of Sydney Airport.

"After years of the worst drought seen in Queensland in over 100 years, we had to find ways to still achieve these goals, but reduce our potable water consumption. Innovation has played a major role in the initiatives we have introduced across the airport, from the construction of freshwater lakes to rainwater harvesting and the installation of water saving devices.

"These initiatives are now delivering results not only in water efficiency but also cost efficiency and I am very proud that BAC is being recognised for its work on local, national and international scales."

Innovative waste-water treatment facilities are saving BAC millions of dollars in water and energy savings.

Once among the top 10 water users in Queensland, BAC has cut its water consumption by adopting a Water Action Plan. Class A recycled water from BAC's in-house wastewater treatment plant is now used for the terminal's cooling towers, boosting water savings to at least 78 percent and 82 percent from 2009 - a cost saving of close to $4million at today's potable water prices, increasing to close to $28million cumulatively, by 2020.

The implementation of recommendations from an airport-wide energy audit will potentially improve energy efficiency in Brisbane Airport's top 10 buildings by 25 percent. Initial pilot projects have found annual savings of 355MW per year.

The winners of the 2009 Queensland Sustainable Industries Awards will be announced on Friday, 12 June 2009 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

ENDS

For more information please contact:
Jim Carden, Brisbane Airport Corporation, 0413 120 341.