power people - TransGrid

GreenGrid
GreenGrid, a project partnership between
TransGrid and Greening australia, is an
award-winning partnership which has
engaged more than 335 landholders and
over a thousand community volunteers who
collectively have erected 375kms of fencing,
planted 224,000 tubestock (200ha) and
direct seeded 1726kms (600ha) of treeline.
The GreenGrid partnership represents a
significant contribution to the community
and the environment which has been
developed over many years.
The multiple benefits to land and biodiversity
have been considerable. so, too, the
carbon offsets: it is estimated that from
2003 to 2007, GreenGrid has sequestered
some 16,000 tonnes of carbon.
The future directions of GreenGrid will
continue to build on past achievements
with a focus on developing the partnership
to offset TransGrid’s ecological and carbon
footprints across the whole business.
Above leFt (left to right)
Stuart Johnston, Toby Jones,
John Tolhurst, Megan Calvert,
Kirsten Velthuis, Geoff Bakewell,
Peter Fawcett, Melinda Pickup,
Bindi Vanzella, Suzanne Sheekey
and Donna Johnston.
molonG GrAssy woodlAnd
Community restorAtion ProjeCt
during october, TransGrid and Greening
australia hosted an on-site community
event to launch their new Molong Grassy
Woodland community restoration project,
aimed at revegetating 30 hectares of
endangered Grassy box Woodland in the
Molong district.
The project involves revegetation experts,
school students, landcare groups, and
staff from TransGrid and Greening australia
undertaking activities to help restore the
woodland.
With only five percent of the original
Grassy box Woodland in the central West
remaining, TransGrid is working with the
community to preserve and revegetate
areas still containing the endangered
species, such as the Molong site. The
project focuses on 25 hectares of woodland
on a property owned by TransGrid which
is part of the high voltage electricity
transmission network in nsW.
TransGrid is very proud of the work already
done and is looking forward to working
further with the Molong community to
restore and provide linkages to other
remnant vegetation in the local area.
38 tAPPinG into our Community > TransGrid annual reporT 2009
eArtHwAtCH
The earthwatch institute is an independent,
non-profit organisation that supports
scientific field research by placing volunteers
in the field to work with scientists. The
partnership between TransGrid and the
earthwatch institute was initiated in 2005 to
support TransGrid’s business commitment to
being environmentally responsible. Through
this partnership, TransGrid employees have
participated in earthwatch field research
projects based around australia.
in 2008, six participants were chosen to
undertake various projects across the
country. These were:
> Gayle de faveri (corporate) –
koala ecology
> kirsten Velthuis (network) –
hawksbill turtles
> stephen paddison (network) –
koala ecology
> Mark Grierson (capital program delivery)
– climate change in the rainforest
> aadil Ganiwalla (capital program
delivery) – climate change in the
rainforest
> Ted adelman (business services) –
hawksbill turtles.
This partnership provides opportunities
for TransGrid staff to advance their
understanding of local environmental issues,
engage with leading conservation scientists
as well as provide opportunities for personal
and professional development.