Big hand to help get on with business
After an extraordinary and challenging 2020, The Biggies will celebrate the positive impact of business in the community.
As the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires ripped through the east coast, Australia’s business community sprung into action, delivering critical assistance to vulnerable communities at one of the lowest points in the nation’s history.
It was one of many examples of the positive impact big business has around the country, spurring the Business Council of Australia to launch The Biggies awards to recognise the best of people and businesses who have gone “above and beyond”.
The Biggies will celebrate the positive impact of business in the community, demonstrating the pride Australians have in their organisations.
BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said business was the “lifeblood of any community”, keeping people working and providing opportunity and prosperity. “In times of crisis Australians pull together, support each other and offer a helping hand, the Australians who are big companies are no different. They go above and beyond to support communities in need in good times and bad,” she said.
“We want to recognise and celebrate those people, these awards will give us the opportunity to do that.”
A judging panel — including former ANZ chief David Gonski, NSW Commissioner for Resilience Shane Fitzsimmons, The Australian’s editor-in-chief Christopher Dore, and former governors-general Dame Quentin Bryce and Sir Peter Cosgrove — will judge two “Big” awards.
The Big Heart Award will recognise an individual or a team that has gone to “extraordinary lengths to help those in need”, while The Big Impact Award acknowledges one firm’s outstanding efforts over the past year.
A people’s choice voting system will also allow the community to vote for its favourite finalists from each category.
Sir Peter, chairman of BCA’s bushfire recovery and rebuilding charity BizRebuild, said the initiative was a “wonderful thing”.
“I am so impressed by the way big business around Australia has stood up tall and identified the real need for big business to work through the Business Council of Australia, through BizRebuild, to help rehabilitate bushfire struck businesses,” Sir Peter said.
Entries close on December 4, and winners will be announced next April.
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