Horizon Power’s Aboriginal Communities Training program has won the prestigious Australian Business Award for Community Contribution.

The Awards recognise organisations that demonstrate the core values of business excellence, product excellence, sustainability and commercial success in their respective industries.

Through the Aboriginal Communities Training Program, members of Indigenous communities are trained and employed to fix basic electrical faults, maintain and construct equipment and educate community members about energy efficiency and electrical safety.

A selected Indigenous community member completes a series of training modules developed specifically for Horizon Power, to be the community’s Essential Service Officer.  The program provides a unique employment opportunity for local community members who can go on to become qualified linespeople in any town or city in Australia.

The program ensures that remote communities are serviced by local people who can respond immediately to faults, avoiding delays caused by the vast distances.  It also ensures remote Indigenous communities are provided with a safer and more reliable power supply.

The Aboriginal Communities Training program began in July 2008 as part of Horizon Power’s work to improve the safety, reliability, quality and affordability of power supplies in remote indigenous communities. Horizon Power currently employs four Essential Service Officers that service the remote communities of Ardyaloon, Beagle Bay, Bidyadanga, Lombadina/Djarindjin and Warmun.

Horizon Power’s Managing Director, Rod Hayes, said the program is a great example of Horizon Power’s aim to provide long-term, sustainable benefits to the communities it serves.

“Horizon Power seeks to ensure that the energy solutions we develop in our service areas deliver lasting value that goes beyond the supply of safe and reliable electricity. The Program’s many positive benefits in the areas of employment, provision of reliable power supplies and education of energy-related matters certainly help to do this.

“I am pleased that through the Australian Business Awards, the Program has also received national recognition as an industry leader,” he said.

Andrew Carter, Chairperson, Ardyaloon Incorporated, recognises the benefit of the program in his community, both now and in the future.

“This way you’re using your own people and you’re able to relate to them and talk to them.

“They can educate themselves to get into those positions and they can stay in their homeland,” he said.

The Program won the Community Contribution category of the national Australian Business Awards, which recognises organisations which implement policies or projects that positively impact on the community and generate outcomes that have a long term benefit.

A spokesperson for the Australian Business Awards said, “The 2009 Awards attracted a very high standard of entries from the Australian business community in times of great change. This year’s winners displayed exceptional performance and leadership in their respective industries, and are role models for any organisation striving for business and product excellence.”

For more information on the Aboriginal Communities Training Program, visit www.horizonpower.com.au

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About Horizon Power
Horizon Power is Western Australia’s dedicated regional and remote community electricity supply organisation.  Established in 2006, Horizon Power is an electricity generator, network operator and retailer dedicated to servicing the needs of regional Western Australians; from remote and isolated communities to some of the biggest resource companies in Australia. 

Our coverage area of more than 2.3 million square kilometres includes small, isolated communities in the Goldfields, Mid West, Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. 

About the Australian Business Awards
Established in 2003, the Australian Business Awards is an independent organisation incorporated in Australia as a proprietary limited company. Specialising in Quality Management, the Australian Business Awards administer and coordinate The Australian Business Awards™ program. As a private sector initiative, the Australian Business Awards is not affiliated with any larger or controlling entity to avoid any potential conflict of interest and does not rely on the financial support of government or other organisations.

The Awards are a national, all-encompassing awards program honouring organisations that demonstrate the core values of business excellence, product excellence, sustainability and commercial success in their respective industries. Entries are judged on specific criteria underpinned by the program's values of success, innovation and ethics. The judging panel is carefully selected and coordinated by the Australian Business Awards to ensure that the judging process is fair and objective, free of bias or influence.

The mission of the Australian Business Awards is:
• To conduct an annual awards program with regional recognition and global significance;
• To recognise and honour corporate and product excellence;
• To ensure that the judging process is fair and objective, free of bias or influence; and
• To provide a viable world-class initiative that is technologically advanced for consumers and the business community alike
2009 Awards

The 2009 Australian Business Awards have been presented to sixty-seven organisations selected from a field of 928 entrants across various industries. The successful organisations from this broad field have achieved award winning standards in a diverse range of areas including; enterprise, innovation, quality, value, product excellence, service excellence, retail excellence, e-business, international trade, marketing excellence, human resource management, public service, community contribution and environmental sustainability.

More information about the Australian Business Awards is available at www.businessawards.com.au