MEDIA RELEASE 23 AUGUST 2019
Procurement Australasia, Australia’s leading national aggregated buying group, today announced Mr Todd Neeson, Port of Melbourne’s Operations Finance and Contract Coordinator, as the third recipient of its $10,000 Paul James Everitt Scholarship.
Announced at its 14th Annual Procurement Australasia’s Conference in Melbourne today by Chief Executive Officer, Mr Joe Arena, Neeson’s success was widely praised by the industry for its focus on how to embed sustainable and social procurement practices into Port of Melbourne’s infrastructure agenda.
Accepting the Scholarship, Neeson said that the motivation for his Scholarship application for a study research tour and paper was based on Port of Melbourne’s unique position in the supply chain.
“As Australia’s largest capital city container and general cargo port and a vital trade hub for SE Australia, Port of Melbourne is on the cusp of a period of significant growth and this is an opportune time to think big about how smart procurement practices can drive positive growth and provide benefits to enable a sustainable future,” he said.
“Our aim is to enhance the liveability of the surrounding communities and be a significant influencer and change leader by setting standards in procurement practices, supporting our ability to maintain our licence to operate as a progressive port city.”
To win the Scholarship, Neeson proposed a study tour and subsequent research paper reporting on the ability of world class port cities in both Europe and Asia to embed sustainable and social procurement practices into, and influence port development, while still driving value for money outcomes.
Neeson said: “European ports such as the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Rotterdam see themselves as both trade hubs as well as celebrated community assets, while also driving sustainability projects both on and off land.
“From a sustainability perspective, I want to look at not just what sustainable projects are being conducted by ports to mitigate environmental impacts but how sustainable procurement practices can be embedded into all procurement and contractual relations to increase their impact along the supply chain,” he said.
Neeson considers that such case studies could be vital for future port development in Australia as knowing how to leverage off existing asset bases for increased mutual benefits would be invaluable in influencing and shaping projects which will leave a long and lasting impact on communities.
A panel of judges considers all applications for the Scholarship which was first gifted by Procurement Australia in 2015 to fund either study, a secondment, training course, research or development of a paper that adds value and insights for the sector.
Joe Arena said: “It’s a great honour to announce Todd as our third Scholarship recipient for a very worthwhile project.
“We are very excited to see the results of your work and will be eagerly supporting and monitoring your efforts.”
Mr Arena went on to specifically thank the Everitt family members for attending and expressed Procurement Australia’s gratitude for their kindness in allowing the scholarship to be named after Paul.
“Paul Everitt was a well-respected colleague who passed away in 2015 and, by honouring his memory with this scholarship, the Procurement Australasia Board has successfully etched out a path for us to productively invest in people working in the procurement sector.
“As such, it fittingly recognises Paul Everitt’s contribution to procurement in the area of project delivery, government purchasing compliance, contract sourcing and supply chain management,” he said
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For further information contact:
Joe Arena, Chief Executive Officer, Procurement Australasia
Ph: (03) 9810 8600
