SEA Changer Award Winners announced at SEA Summit 2024

Sports Environment Alliance (SEA), at the conclusion of their highly informative and insightful Summit held today at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, announced this year’s winners of the #SEAChanger Awards.

The awards are presented to an individual, sporting organisation, sports club, venue, or facility who have demonstrated outstanding environmental and climate leadership, driven change, or contributed to best practice environmental stewardship in the areas of water, energy, materials, biodiversity, or engagement and education over the last two years.

This year, there were three award categories: SEAChanger - SEA Member, SEAChanger - Non-Member and SEAChanger – Individual Leadership with key selection criteria that included project innovation, impact and engagement. 

Category finalists included:

SEAChanger – SEA Member

• Belgravia Leisure for its Ascot Vale Leisure Centre Carbon Neutral Certification project

• Netball Victoria for its NV Green Action Plan and Netball Exchange programme

• Tennis Australia for Maximum Play, Minimum Footprint at AO24. 

• Water Polo Australia for its WPA Climate Action Strategy Development

• The Y Vic as managers for the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre (SAALC) for their Waste Reduction and Energy Saving Strategy

SEAChanger – Non-Member
Sturt Football Club for its Double Blues Go Green initiative

SEAChanger – Individual Leadership Award
Alexia Morgan, from Belgravia Leisure for her sustainability leadership and vision  at Belgravia Health and Leisure Group

And the Winners are:

SEAChanger – SEA Member
Tennis Australia for Maximum Play, Minimum Footprint at AO24.

Tennis Australia deliver the Australian Open and AO 24 in January 2024 was the culmination of many years of continuous improvement commencing in   the 2022 and 2023 years. The 2024 result was a step-up again, including:

• More than 890,000 beverage containers collected for CDS-Vic recycling;

• More than 2.4 tonnes of viable kitchen organics donated to OzHarvest.

• More than 70,000 reusable plates and bowls used and then collected, and then hygienically washed and cleaned to then be re-used.

• Estimated saving of around 90,000 single-use plastic bottles by using on-court Waterdrop refill water bottles and replacing free single use water in gyms/locker rooms/courts, with refill points.

• Return of the successful Trash Talkers program, to help fans dispose of their waste into the appropriate bins located around the Melbourne Park complex.

• Energy partnership to provide 100% renewable energy

SEAChanger – Non-Member
Sturt Football Club for its Double Blues Go Green initiative.

Sturt Football Club's Double Blues Go Green initiative emerged from a fundamental challenge: the need to address the environmental impact of match day operations. With significant waste generation during home games, the club recognised the urgency to reduce its ecological footprint and promote sustainability/ As a result they implemented a comprehensive waste management strategy, which continues to result in greater than 95% diversion of materials from landfill.

SEAChanger – Individual Leadership Award
Alexia Morgan, from Belgravia Leisure for her sustainability leadership and vision at Belgravia Health and Leisure Group

Alexia has been leading the sustainability efforts of Belgravia Health and Leisure Group since 2019 and has been integral to its success in many areas.  In that time, she has been able to engage the group with sustainability initiatives, including leading a Green Team of over 50 individuals across all sites. Her leadership and vision are demonstrated by implementing the first carbon neutral leisure centre in Australia and eliminating plastic waste at the centres.

She is recognised as a mentor across the industry, and her work demonstrates how individuals stepping up to lead can result in significant positive outcomes.

In congratulating the winners, Jan Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Sport Environment Alliance noted “The nominations for these awards were all of a high quality and the judges were impressed by the clear commitment shown in all submissions.

“In particular, the Member submissions demonstrated that every sporting organisation is on its own path, and success can be measured in many ways, making it a difficult judging process.   At the end of the day, selection of the winners, each of whom demonstrated outstanding environmental and climate leadership in their categories. We thank all the organisations who submitted an entry, and look forward to celebrating their success, as they continue to protect our places to play. “

Sports, clubs, organisations and individuals seeking to protect our places to play, and wanting to collaborate on, learn more and share  their sustainability journey are invited to join Sports Environment Alliance www.sportsenvironmentalliance.org/join-the-movement.

Image. Award Winner Alexia Morgan, from Belgravia Leisure for her sustainability leadership and vision at Belgravia Health and Leisure Group; Image centre:Tennis Australia for Maximum Play, Minimum Footprint at AO24; Image above:Sturt Football Club for its Double Blues Go Green initiative.