Jemena

Sustainable future

We strongly support the principle of "reduce, recycled and reuse"

As part of this journey towards achieving our best sustainability performance, our employees are volunteering with local communities and Landcare Australia to help restore and revegetate local environments.

Jemena strictly adheres to the principles of continuous improvement and is therefore always seeking to identify and take advantage of new ways of working that will reduce our impact on the environment as well as any regulatory reporting requirements.

Recycling policy and practice

Jemena’s Environmental Policy supports the principle to reduce, recycle and reuse materials wherever possible.

An example of this is the electricity policy for appropriately salvaging or disposing of any recyclable materials that come from the network. This includes a commitment to not sending any scrap metal to landfill, nor other materials such as plastics, ceramics, glass, wood, concrete and oil. Concrete poles are sent for crushing, with the by-product reused as filling, and the metal content recycled by the vendor.

Jemena retrieves hazardous materials as part of regular network maintenance. These materials – such as oil from transformers, which may contain PCBs – require disposal according to Victorian EPA regulations. Mercury, sodium and fluoro lamps/lights are also disposed of according to relevant laws, EPA and other environmental guidelines.

Managing biodiversity

Jemena’s current strategies for managing biodiversity include:

  • Environmental management plans
  • Flora and fauna assessments
  • Weed management plans
  • Vegetation management plans
  • Consultation with various councils and other stakeholders on vegetation strategies
  • Community partnerships with Landcare groups for the protection and restoration of natural habitats

Working with Landcare

To date Jemena has funded the planting of more than 13,500 trees and native plants as part of Jemena-sponsored projects with Landcare Australia.

Landcare Australia is Jemena’s principle community partner. Through Jemena’s sponsorship of Landcare Australia, funding is directed to local communities across Australia to care for the environment.

Landcare’s work includes restoring native habitats and revitalising areas for public use. Jemena also encouraged employees to play an active role in supporting Landcare by volunteering to assist at local sites in The Australian Capital Territory, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria.

Protecting and restoring habitats

Maintaining infrastructure through vast tracts of urban and regional areas of Australia requires Jemena to find ways to minimise the environmental impact of works.

All work within pipeline easements is undertaken in line with the need to safeguard the environment for communities within which we operate through prevention of environmental impact and the careful considered risk management of all our activities.