5 GOLD ANCHOR
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club was the first Club in the world to be awarded the prestigious 5 Gold Anchor accreditation under the Global Gold Anchor Scheme . The Global Gold Anchor scheme is a joint venture between The Yacht Harbour Association ( TYHA ) and the Marina Industries Association ( MIA ).
The scheme is designed to provide assistance to marina users with their marina selection and provides marina operators with customer and operational framework in order to continually improve service and facilities for consumers .
The 5 Gold Anchor recognition is a well justified acknowledgement of the consistent high quality service that the dedicated Management and team put into the RPAYC facilities .
“ It ’ s extremely satisfying to be the first Club in the world to attain this status and reflects the many hours that management , staff and committees put into the ongoing development and maintenance of the marina . We still have a lot of hard work in front of us and are committed to providing world class facilities to our members and visitors ” said Kylie Brown , Marine Services Manager .
The RPAYC is committed to protecting and preserving the environment and to the highest safety standards . This accreditation compliments the Club ’ s active commitment to sustainable environmental practices for the local waterways with a level three Clean Marina accreditation as well as a fish friendly certification .
The Gold Anchor scheme involves customer service performance benchmarking and provides a customer service focused framework to continually improve service to consumers .
As one of the oldest yacht Clubs in Australia , currently celebrating their 150th year of operation , the RPAYC takes pride in constantly upgrading and improving their facilities , as well as providing first class customer service , ensuring they continue to lead the world in marina services .
FOOD RECYCLING
RPAYC ON THE FRONT FOOT FOR FOOD RECYCLING
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club used a Bin Trim rebate from the NSW Environment Protection Authority ( EPA ) to purchase a worm farm that will divert 5.25 tonnes of food waste from landfill each year .
As a 5 Gold Anchor marina committed to continually improving its service , and with effective plastic and glass recycling already in place , the Club was keen to identify other waste management areas that could be improved .
As the RPAYC was considering options for broader recycling measures , a Bin Trim assessor visited the Club and suggested participating in the NSW EPA ’ s Bin Trim program . Through the program , eligible businesses that employ between one and 199 employees can access a free waste assessment and a financial rebate from $ 1000 to $ 50,000 to help with the cost of purchasing recycling equipment . The Bin Trim assessor helped the Club complete a step-by-step assessment to clarify its waste collection , separation and management process in order to identify any gaps . Food waste was identified as an area where substantial improvements could be made . It was estimated that between 600 and 1000 litres of food waste from the Club ’ s restaurant was being sent to landfill each week .
The assessor assisted the Club in applying for a Bin Trim rebate to help with the cost of purchasing a commercial-scale worm farm to manage kitchen waste . The application was successful , with the Club awarded a $ 1,285 rebate .
Approximately 90 % of the Club ’ s kitchen waste is now recycled through the new worm farm and then re-used on the extensive Club gardens as a fertiliser . The gardener collects the castings from the worm farm once a week to disperse across the Club ’ s 17 hectares of land , delivering positive results for the Club and the gardens .
Club management has also found that the Bin Trim program delivered substantial results through applying small changes . This has led to greater staff interest and engagement in recycling , both at work and at home .
“ The Bin Trim program has definitely increased awareness about recycling amongst staff and motivated us all to take action individually ,” said RPAYC Head Chef Steve Proctor . “ In a sense the recycling improvements here at the Club are rubbing off , and we ’ re taking those changes home as well .”
In 12 months , the Club will review its waste bin sizes , potentially leading to a reduction in waste collection costs .
RPAYC EVENTS
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