X
AGL continues to build significant corporate partnership programs with leading community organisations - such as Mission Australia and WWF-Australia, funding initiatives that utilise our networks and resources to create sustainable business practices and make a positive impact on the community.
AGL has established a partnership with Mission Australia to fund a series of initiatives designed to help address individual and community disadvantage, including the needs of the homeless and those at risk of homelessness within Australia.
A $759,900 donation from the AGL Foundation was given in December 2006. The partnership comprises two key programs as outlined below.
Energy Matters: This initiative is a three-year energy efficiency and financial counselling program in South Australia. $459,900 has been allocated to assist disadvantaged families and individuals experiencing short or long-term difficulty paying their energy bills.
Households participating in the program were initially identified through AGL’s customer hardship program (Staying Connected) (refer to the Customer Section of the report for more details). During 2008/09 we provided greater integration between the program and our core retail business by changing the referral generation source to AGL Assist, our home trade specialists. AGL Assist is conducting customer energy audits to meet South Australian regulatory requirements, and conducting these audits in conjunction with Mission Australia can provide dual benefits.
From the referral, a trained case manager and energy auditor visit the home and conduct an energy audit, and recommend changes that can be made to reduce the household’s energy costs.
Clients also have access to an appliance fund to help reduce energy consumption and stabilise household spending. As financial hardship is often a contributing factor to homelessness, the Mission Australia case worker is also able to link individuals and families to other social services, such as drug and alcohol counselling, parenting support and gambling addiction.
Since the program was launched in October 2007, Mission Australia has received over 167 referrals from AGL and 113 households have accepted the invitation to participate in the program and have been audited. Anecdotal feedback from households to Mission suggests that some clients have achieved savings of up to $500 per energy bill.
Energy Efficient Accommodation Projects: AGL is funding the research, planning and development of a support accommodation facility in Melbourne CBD and an accommodation service for homeless families in Western Sydney with $100,000 and $200,000 respectively being held in reserve awaiting development approval. The new facilities will incorporate best-practice energy efficient design, services and appliances.
We continued our relationship with WWF Australia by contributing a further $10,000 to help fund a management strategy for the preservation of marine turtles in far northern Queensland, whose future is severely threatened by the impacts of climate change.
As part of this funding, in October 2008 WWF Australia set up a Turtle Research and Community Camp in the Northern Territory. The camp aims to train young individuals, traditional owners and community elders from surrounding indigenous Australian communities as rangers, by increasing their awareness and knowledge of turtle biology and the importance of conserving this endangered species.
In September 2008, AGL provided another opportunity for nine outstanding employees to take part in a seven day eco-expedition in North Queensland, to observe and participate in the conservation activities of various local plants and animals, including the threatened marine turtles.
These employees returned from their unique experience having gained key learnings about the grassroots impacts of climate change.
