KESAB, SA’s environment Icon, today Celebrates its 50th Birthday.
South Australia’s respected and nationally leading environmental education organisation, KESAB environmental solutions, is turning 50 today. It continues to be Australia’s bestmanaged, self-funded, volunteer engaged environmental education body.
This evening a Celebration Event will be held for volunteers, members & friends with nostalgic videos, on-the-couch interviews and more, from 6.00pm at Adelaide Showgrounds, Duncan Gallery, Wayville. Event MC’s are SA Media icons, Jane Reilly and Keith Conlon, both great supporters of KESAB over the decades.
On August 1, 1966 KESAB was incorporated as a grass roots organisation with business and community supporters*. Today we celebrate 50 Years of creating & delivering programs for community environmental sustainability, education and action for all South Australians.
“Most South Australians have a positive memory of KESAB, but how many realise we’ve been here for 50 years,” asks KESAB Executive Director John Phillips OAM, himself a 29 year employee.
“Firstly just picking up litter, then ultimately generating major environmental campaigns to benefit our State and the Nation. Since its inception 50 years ago, KESAB has become SA’s leading community facilitator of sustainable education and action programs. With ongoing influence across the South Australian community, KESAB continues to deliver a raft of valuable programs and services, working with community, government and industry,” said Mr Phillips.
Chairman of KESAB Mr Ashley Watson, said: “KESAB has evolved to be an integral part of community leadership by engaging and delivering environmental sustainability programs, actions and education, driving awareness, environmental restoration, and behavioural change in SA.
“In addition to our own backyard, our impact right across Australia can be equated through a number of achievements that include being a Founder of Keep Australia Beautiful, initiating methodology for the National Litter Index, and educating and engaging recycling initiatives underpinning SA’s very successful Container Deposit Legislation that is now being established in NSW and Queensland with KESAB’s assistance on aspects of community education to maximise participation take up.
“KESAB estimates that over 50 years we have contributed more than $250 million in real dollar and value added outcomes towards environmental improvement and sustainability education, engaged hundreds of thousands of volunteers and students, and delivered hundreds of Professional Development sessions within the teaching and training sectors and embraced all South Australians.
“Along the way we have influenced changes in community behaviour to reduce litter pollution, encouraged community to recycle billions of beverage containers, and educated householders to support SA’s Zero Waste aspiration diverting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill.
“Our volunteers have planted hundreds of thousands of trees, rehabilitated sand dunes and creeks, protected native vegetation and habitat, cleaned up thousands of kilometres of roadsides and millions of pieces of litter, all to do with Keeping South Australia Beautiful. We applaud their work today,” Mr Watson said.
Just a few of KESAB’s litter awareness campaigns, volunteer, education and action programs:
- Drop Something Sport
- Tidy Towns
- Sustainable Communities
- Road Watch
- WOW Wipe out Waste
- Clean Site
- APY PALYA Clean Communities
- Litter Kills
- Litter Less.
KESAB described in Numbers
- Each year KESAB is involved in community participation and environmental improvement activities accounting for around 700,000 person hours valued at $30 million per year.
- It has contributed more than $250 million in real dollar and value-added outcomes for the environment.
- Our programs involve approximately 300 towns and communities, 800 school and community groups, 100 Road Watch groups, thousands of volunteers, 45 local councils, more than 50 corporations and businesses, and state and federal government agencies.
Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, KESAB Patron Colin Hill AM and KESAB Chair Ashley Watson celebrating 50 years of KESAB.
