PHOTO / FILMING OPPORTUNITY: Colorbond awards $15,000 to Port Macquarie Landcare Group

MEDIA RELEASE

18 March 2013

COLORBOND® awards $15,000 community grant to Port Macquarie Landcare Group

Equipment and vehicle storage to be built using donated funds

In the spirit of Aussie mateship, leading Australian steel manufacturer BlueScope Steel has awarded the fifth of ten $15,000* ‘Help A Mate’ competition grants to Port Macquarie Landcare Group Inc. to enable it to build a shed, from COLORBOND® steel, to house important equipment and vehicles.

Port Macquarie Landcare Group is an organisation of volunteers dedicated to improving the land and related environments within the Port Macquarie region. This includes ecosystem restoration of urban bushlands, waterways, coastal and marine environments, as well as increasing community awareness and fostering partnerships with like-minded organisations. The COLORBOND® steel shed will provide a space to house vital equipment and run a nursery of local native seedlings to plant and grow in the area.

President Estelle Gough was overwhelmed by the grant award: “We are very grateful for BlueScope Steel’s generous support. The grant has come at exactly the right time to help us build a place to call home, to care for the resources donated to us, and to better serve the community. We are proud to partner with BlueScope Steel in caring for our natural environment.”

With rapid population growth in the region and the pressure of urbanisation and climate change, the work of Port Macquarie Landcare Group is forever expanding to ensure a sustainable future for this fragile coastal environment.

The COLORBOND® ‘Help A Mate’ competition is one of the largest community programs of its kind that has called on people from all over Australia to nominate friends and family who require assistance to replace a damaged shed or to build a new one. Since launching in September 2012, more than 300 nominations have been received from around Australia, ranging from local sporting clubs in need of a shed to store their sporting equipment, community groups needing to rebuild their shed after it has been damaged by floods or other natural disasters, to infrastructure for animal shelters.

According to Mark Eckermann, BlueScope Steel National Sales Manager, – NSW and ACT: “COLORBOND® ‘Help A Mate’ came from a desire to help people who could benefit from having a new or replacement shed built. Sheds are a vital part of successful rural and regional businesses around Australia but for people in cities and towns they also protect valuable assets such as motor vehicles, gardening, sports and hobby equipment. Whether it is a local farmer in need, a local business that is growing or a mate who’s simply doing it tough we were excited to hear from anyone who knew someone deserving of a new shed.”

The COLORBOND® ‘Help A Mate’ competition is now closed and the remaining winners are being announced over the next month. All nominations can be viewed via the COLORBOND® steel Facebook page www.facebook.com/colorbond.

COLORBOND® ‘Help A Mate’ is supported by approximately 1200 shed resellers from around the country who offer sheds made from COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME® and GALVASPAN® steel.  Shed buyers can visit www.colorbond.com/sheds where they can search for nearby suppliers.

*Terms and Conditions apply. Go to www.colorbond.com/sheds to view.

Authorised under VIC Permit No. 12/2053; NSW Permit No. LTPS/12/06719; SA Licence No. T12/1509 & ACT Permit No. TP 12/03035.

ENDS

For all media enquiries, interviews or images please contact Ashley Gatte at Stellar* Concepts on 02 9281 8000 or ashley@stellar.net.au

NOTES TO EDITORS

About sheds made from COLORBOND® steel

For many people, sheds are there to provide shelter and protection for the things that are important to them. Whether it’s a home, farm or business, sheds are there to keep important belongings safe and sound and a shed can be one of the biggest investments behind a house and car. That’s why it’s so important to ask the right questions and get the right shed:

Does the steel in your shed meet Australian Standards?

• Most sheds are designed and built in Australia, but in some instances the shed and the steel can be made somewhere else. COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME® and GALVASPAN® steel, made only by BlueScope Steel, is 100% Australian made and guaranteed to meet or exceed relevant Australian Standards.  
• In order for your shed to comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements, the steel it’s made from should comply with the relevant Australian Standards. 

Is your shed design engineered specifically for your intended use and location? 

• Every shed is different in terms of the site, exposure to the elements and distance from other buildings. After combining this data with other important information such as the intended use of your shed and the site wind speed, your shed supplier should be able to determine the right design specification for your shed.
• Accreditation programs such as ShedSafe exist in Australia to protect shed buyers.  ShedSafe accredited suppliers have had their engineering and design procedures assessed against current design codes. 
• The concrete floor slab and frame in your house are designed specifically for your home site and wind loading conditions.  Like your house, your shed should also be engineered specifically for your site.

Will your shed stand up to Australia’s harsh conditions?

• Australia has some of the highest UV levels in the world, which can play havoc with painted steels not designed to suit the environment. COLORBOND® steel is tested against defects that may occur in substandard sheds such as blistering, cracking, flaking and peeling. 

The workmanship in your shed may have a warranty but what about the steel?

• In addition to the workmanship that goes into your shed, make sure the steel used to make your shed has a warranty. Roofing and walling in sheds made from COLORBOND® steel and ZINCALUME® steel is backed by a warranty** from BlueScope Steel. 

How do I know I’m getting genuine COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME® and GALVASPAN® steel in my new shed?

• Not all pre-painted steel is COLORBOND® steel and not all metallic steels are ZINCALUME® or GALVASPAN® steels. Made only by BlueScope Steel, these brands are registered and have built a reputation as one of the most trusted steel building materials in Australia.
• COLORBOND®, ZINCALUME® and GALVASPAN® steels all have brand markings on the steel which include information such as the brand name, the base metal thickness of the steel and the Australian Standard to which they have been made to.
• Ask your shed supplier to see these brand markings inside their display sheds, and also once your shed is installed for your own reassurance. It’s only genuine if it says so on the steel itself.

**Warranty terms and conditions apply. Warranties are not available for all products and applications. The duration and terms and conditions of available warranties vary according to product use and application. Please visit http://www.bluescopesteel.com.au/warranties for further information. For full terms and conditions of this promotion or to enter visit www.colorbond.com/sheds