Environment Victoria congratulates Kim Thien Truong on receiving a Pride of Australia Medal for her work with the Australian-Vietnamese community to save water and energy and reduce waste in the home.
Kim, EV’s Nha Dep Community Liaison Officer, appeared on the front page of the Herald Sun after she was given the Fair Go medal for her work with the environment and orphans in Vietnam.
Kim has also been named a finalist in the ‘community action’ category of the annual savewater! awards®, which recognise and reward outstanding achievement in water conservation across Victorian businesses, community groups, individual and government departments and agencies.
Winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Friday 21 October at Melbourne’s Plaza Ballroom, during National Water Week.
Kim works with Environment Victoria as an Ambassador for its ‘Nha Dep’ or ‘Beautiful Home’ program, which assesses householder’s water and energy use and provides advice as to how each household can save energy and water in the home.
Kim’s community work has acted as a catalyst for more than 25 ML of water savings (25 Olympic sized swimming pools) and 60,000 litres of harvested rainwater (6,000 buckets).
She was also part of City West Water’s ‘Showerhead Exchange Program’ where 350 local Vietnamese people exchanged their showerheads for water-saving nozzles in one morning.
Kim says she is thrilled to be recognised as a finalist in honour of such impressive efforts to conserve water.
“Mainstream environmental promotions were not successfully reaching the Vietnamese community due to language barriers and cultural differences,” says Kim. “With water-saving so important, we needed to fill the gap and teach the community sustainable behaviour.
“The results are very rewarding, especially when someone sends me a copy of their water bill so I can share in their success!”
Kim will brush shoulders with other finalists and savewater! awards® ambassador and Chief Judge, Rob Gell, at the October gala ceremony. Its here they’ll find out if they’ll be crowned a water saving winner.
“I was extremely impressed by the entry submitted by Kim and wish her well for October 21,” Rob Gell says. “It’s always inspiring to learn of people who are taking progressive action to reduce water consumption.”
Entries for the 2005 savewater! awards® closed on Monday 22 August 2005 during World Water Week. For more information, visit www.savewater.com.au