Sydney, Australia - A 21-year-long partnership between Alcoa and Greening Australia is the National Winner of a Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships.

The Award winners were announced at a special evening in Sydney last night (17 December).

Alcoa's Managing Director of Australian operations, Wayne Osborn and Greening Australia Limited CEO Carl Binning said they were delighted to receive recognition in the longevity category as the partnership had delivered long-term benefits for the community and environment, particularly in Victoria and Western Australia.

"Through this partnership, our two organisations have shared ideas, challenges and staff. We've learnt from each other and our programs have had a measurable effect - in environmental, economic and social outcomes," Mr Osborn said.

Mr Binning said Greening Australia was proud of its record of working with the business community to deliver practical solutions to complex environmental problems.

"Alcoa has made an unprecedented contribution to rural and regional Australia through their support of Greening Australia and the Landcare movement. It's imperative that we partner with the business sector, government and community to address the extensive environmental issues we face in Australia," he said.

The partnership has contributed in a practical way to repair the Australian landscape by;

• Planting of over 10 million trees - Providing practical tools for environmental restoration and operating for 12 years, the Alcoa Revegetation Assistance scheme in Victoria gives farmers and Landcare groups access to specialist machinery and equipment. More than 700 Alcoa Landcare sites have been established and thousands of hectares of degraded land treated.
• Extensive and ongoing environmental education - Grow Us A Home was introduced in 1992 in recognition of the changing urban landscape in the Perth metropolitan and Peel regions. The decade long program is estimated to have raised the level of environmental awareness of over 40,000 people through the involvement of teachers, parents and students.
• Improving seed supply - The Alcoa Portland seedbank collects and houses seeds from indigenous plants for use in revegetation projects, providing the right seed for the right sites;
• Practical knowledge transfer - a range of practical publications and resources has been produced for landholders, rural and urban audiences

"Alcoa was only 19 years old when we began to work together," said Mr Osborn.

" In the ensuing 21 years, we have seen Greening Australia grow from small beginnings to become a vibrant community partner and agent for environmental change across Australia. We've also grown and, this year, Alcoa is celebrating 40 years in Australia."

"Our partnership with Alcoa is enduring, changing to suit today's needs and is a fine example of how collaboration could result in excellent outcomes for all," concluded Mr Binning.

The Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships 2003 are run at the state and territory level and divided into three categories: Small, medium and large business.

Two additional special awards will be made this year - one for a partnership that has had an impact on the community and the other for longevity to a partnership that has been operating for more than five years. Greening Australia and Alcoa are joint National Finalists in the Longevity category.

The Award winners will be announced at a special evening hosted by the Prime Minister in Sydney this Wednesday night (17 December).

Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap® foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa® wheels, and Baco® household wraps. Among its other businesses are closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com

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