The Australian War Memorial’s development project has received an international award for its transformation, and a government green energy award as the new build and galleries take shape.
Australian War Memorial Director, Matt Anderson said he was delighted to see the Australian War Memorial recognised this week at an awards ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Asia Pacific Project Controls Expo.
“This award is testament to the Australian War Memorial’s commitment to the sound management of this ambitious development project and delivering value for money for the Australian public,” Mr Anderson said.
The 2024 Asia-Pacific Project Controls Expo awarded the Australian War Memorial with the ‘Transformation Project of the Year’ for outstanding organisational and cultural transformation changes.
The Memorial also won the Department of Finance’s Gold Award on Tuesday for Encouraging Environmental Sustainability through Procurement in the 2024 Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Awards for Excellence.
The award acknowledges, among other significant green initiatives, the Australian War Memorial is leading the nation with a new green energy project, delivering the largest closed loop underground geothermal technology heating and cooling system in Australia.
“The Australian War Memorial is tapping into renewable thermal energy stored in the ground. We use the earth’s temperature to heat and cool, unlocking sustainable ways to provide a comfortable environment for our visitors and for the protection of the national collection,” Mr Anderson said.
“The project eliminates production of up to a thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of transporting about 87,500 students a year from Sydney to Canberra return to visit the Australian War Memorial carbon free.”
It is the second year in a row the Memorial has been acknowledged by the Department of Finance.
In 2023, the Australian War Memorial won the Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Gold Award for Generating Broader Benefits to the Australian Economy through Procurement with the Memorial’s Veterans Employment and Opportunity Plan.
“In an institution that honours the service of past generations, we are committed to making it sustainable for the future,” he said.
