The Salvation Army's Jacana Centre

As part of our commitment to supporting the local community, Melbourne Airport has supported the Salvation Army's Jacana Centre for over 6 years.

Located just 10kms from the airport in the north-western Melbourne suburb of Jacana, the centre provides assisted accommodation to families, couples and pregnant women, as well as being an outreach to homeless men and women.

Melbourne Airport's provides a community development worker to support residents when they need it most.

Melbourne Airport has had a longstanding relationship with the Salvos, which has included significant financial donations to the Winter Warmth and Christmas Appeals, along with fundraising ventures with Airport Management Staff Social Club.

Melbourne Airport also donates money collected from passenger donations of unused local and foreign currency donations to the Salvos through collection bins located throughout the terminals.

School Christmas banner competition

Since 1996, over 40 schools from the northern and western regions of Melbourne have been decorating the festive banners that hang at Melbourne Airport during the Christmas season.

These banners are produced as part of the Melbourne Airport School Christmas Banner Competition and provide a friendly welcoming message to the 50,000 passengers arriving and departing at Melbourne Airport during December.

The winning schools are presented with over $3000 worth of prizes in books and sporting equipment for their schools.

In 2006, 1st prize in the competition was awarded to Milleara Primary School - whose banner featured a Melbourne tram, the Aussie outback and Santa.

2nd prize and 3rd prize winners Footscray Primary School and Albion Primary School were also highly commended for their efforts.

Melbourne Airport's is committed to ensuring the environment remains a front-of-mind issue in all of its operations. Melbourne Airport is the only airport in Australia to have its Environmental Management Strategy accredited to world's best practice ISO14001 accreditation.

For further details about Melbourne Airport and its commitment to the environment – including issues such as air quality, noise management, stormwater quality, land management, ecology, culture and heritage click here.

Melbourne Airport Environment Award

The Melbourne Airport Environment Award is designed to recognise the positive contributions that airport operators and individuals are making to improve the environment at Melbourne Airport. The major award prize includes a $5000 grant for the winning organisation.

In 2005, the team from Qantas Group Environment was presented with the 'Best Environmental Initiative' Award for their development of a staff environmental awareness learning module that now ensures all Qantas employees – whether they be shift workers or those stationed internationally – can be trained in the key environmental issues and responsibilities affecting their day-to-day operations.

Willow Ware Australia, whose manufacturing plant is located in Melbourne Airport's Business Park, were awarded the 'Best Company Environmental Performance' for their continued and sustained focus on improving and maintaining environmental best practice.

The winning entrants are judged by a group including representatives from Melbourne Airport, Melbourne Water, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Hume City Council and the Department of Transport & Regional Services (DOTARS).

Melbourne Airport Victorian Tourism Awards

Since 2001, Melbourne Airport has been the premier sponsor of the Melbourne Airport Victorian Tourism Awards. The Awards are held in November each year, and are the major event to recognise and encourage the outstanding work undertaken by Victorian tourism businesses.

For more information, visit www.victoriantourismawards.com.au

Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Leaders Awards

The Melbourne Airport Developing Tourism Business Leaders Awards are designed to nurture and reward young talent in the Victorian tourism industry.

The Awards recognise that upon completion of the final year of tertiary study, commencing a rewarding career can be daunting experience - and as such, are designed to provide final year tourism and hospitality students with employment opportunities and will potentially lead to new innovative businesses for Victoria's tourism industry.

Students create innovative small business concepts and business plans which are judged by a panel of industry representatives based on the feasibility of the business, product innovation and knowledge of the tourism industry.

For more information, visit www.serviceskillsvictoria.org.au/awards