“GRS was invaluable to ICANZ. Their understanding of government issues and their insightful and hands-on approach to stakeholder communications (industry, government and consumer) played a key role in facilitating the effective implementation of our programs. I am pleased to recommend GRS Communications to those seeking a reliable and service focussed communications consultancy,”
Dennis D’Arcy ICANZ President.
About the Program
The Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand (ICANZ) engaged GRS Communications to develop and manage strategies to promote the cause of energy efficient and environmentally sustainable building practices. This included related changes to state and federal building regulations and Australian and New Zealand government policies such as incentives.
The five-year strategic program built a credible reputation and respected voice for the Council that was heard by those who mattered – community, media, government and industry. On a limited budget, the goal was to encourage target stakeholders to advocate for change in the energy efficiency of Australia’s buildings.
As a result, ICANZ grew from an obscure industry group without a cohesive message to a respected industry voice punching well above its weight.
Some of the outcomes included:
- federal rebates for home insulation announced as a flagship program in the government’s $42 billion recovery package and the passing of the bill through the Senate
- improved building energy efficiency becoming an integral response and part of the climate change landscape in Australia
- strong and vocal community and stakeholder support and participation in building energy efficiency measures and government policy changes
- the inclusion of 5-Star energy efficiency measures in the Building Code of Australia 2006
- 5-Star or its equivalent adopted by the governments of Victoria, WA, NSW and SA.the introduction of substantial retrofit rebates for insulation by the NSW, Victorian, ACT and WA governments
- incorporation of insulation in the Victorian Government’s VEET program, federal government interest free loans, and a federal rebate program for landlords and people on low incomes earners to install insulation into existing homes wide stakeholder interest and patronage of the ICANZ website with visitors increasing from less than 800 visits per month to nearly 8,000 per month
- the creation and publication of ICANZ News Update, a quarterly e-newsletter for the building, insulation industry and government stakeholders concerned with building energy efficiency. This involved the creation and maintenance of a database of 3,000 recipients.
For this program, GRS won the 2008 Victorian PRIA Awards for Excellence and was runner-up nationally in the PRIA Golden Target Awards, corporate affairs category.