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Assessment 3 Information
Subject Code: MBA402
Subject Name: Governance, Ethics and Sustainability
Assessment Title: Sustainability Assessment
Assessment Type: Sustainability Report
Choose an item.: 2,000 Words (+/-10%)
Weighting: 40 %
Total Marks: 40
Submission: Via Turnitin
Due Date: Week 13
Your Task
You are required to watch the following YouTube clips from the GRI Secretariat:
1. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards: The Future of Reporting
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGqE4OO0_7g&t=3s
2. Introducing the GRI Standards
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDe8Kkh1BrU&t=2s
You must also read the case study below based on fictional company Timberwell Constructions.
You must then prepare a sustainability assessment report for Timberwell Constructions.
Assessment Instructions
You must prepare a sustainability assessment report for Timberwell Constructions refe
ing to the
Consolidated Set of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards 2016 that specifically addresses:
A. Economic sustainability
i) Disclosure 201-2 Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to
climate change
ii) Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of co
uption and actions taken
iii) Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust,
and monopoly practices
B. Environmental sustainability
i) Disclosure 302-1 Energy consumption within the organisation
ii) Disclosure 304-2 Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity
iii) Disclosure 307-1 Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGqE4OO0_7g&t=3s
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDe8Kkh1BrU&t=2s
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C. Social sustainability
i) Disclosure 401-1 New employee hires and employee turnover
ii) Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and co
ective actions taken
iii) Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments,
and development programs
You will be required to include a minimum of 15 references in your Sustainability Assessment Report at
least 5 of which must come from academic journals or textbooks.
Assessment Case Study
Introduction
Timberwell Constructions is a residential development company that builds apartment complexes in the
Stanwell Council district. It employs 58 male staff from the area with different construction related trades
and professions. The local market for these workers is highly competitive and Timberwell has had to
employ 12 new apprentices in the reporting period because 17 employees have left, mostly to work for
ival organisations or establish their own businesses. The company has increased worker pay rates and
implemented a monthly rostered day off to try to retain its existing staff.
Fair Work Commission
One employee, Dennis McCabe, resigned from the organisation and filed a workplace harassment claim
in the Fair Work Commission. His claim alleged he was discriminated against by his co-workers on the
asis of his age. Dennis further alleged that because he was the only worker older than 50 years of age
(everybody else is aged between 30 and 50) he was the target of humiliating age related jokes from the
others.
The Fair Work Commission upheld Dennis’s claim and ordered Timberwell Constructions to pay him
$4,400 in compensation. The Commission also ordered Timberwell to update its anti-discrimination policy
and provide anti-discrimination training to all employees. The company has complied with the
Commission’s orders.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Dennis also lodged a series of complaints to a number of government authorities about Timberwell’s
operations. On the basis of one such complaint, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Timberwell Constructions for alleged anti-
competitive conduct involving misuse of market power and exclusive dealings.
The ACCC alleged that Timberwell became aware that a group of local builders were planning to establish
a competing development company. In response to this competitive threat, the ACCC alleged senior
Timberwell executives told suppliers and contractors that if they were involved with the new development
company they would have their business with Timberwell substantially reduced or withdrawn.
The ACCC alleged that Timberwell engaged in this conduct for the purpose of dete
ing or preventing a
new entrant in the development market in the Stanwell district, or substantially lessening competition in
that market. The case is listed to be heard by the Federal Court in four months.
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State Co
uption Commission
Dennis made a separate complaint to the state co
uption commission resulting in a public co
uption
scandal involving five Timberwell employees and two business partners. The complaint alleged that in
order to push the company’s development applications through the council approval process, the five
employees and two external consultants offered
ibes to council project officers. The state co
uption
commission has charged each of the five employees and one of the external consultants with co
uption.
All five employees have been suspended without pay by Timberwell pending the outcome of the
prosecutions. Timberwell has also terminated its partnership contracts with the two external consultants.
Department of the Environment and Energy
Dennis also made a separate complaint to the Department of the Environment and Energy. Following an
investigation by the Department, Timberwell was fined $200,000 for clearing 0.45 hectares of critically
endangered ecological community coastal grasslands.
The cleared area was recognised under the State Planning Scheme as containing important flora and
fauna attributes. Timberwell was also ordered to undertake an external review of its vegetation
management plan, extend its audit program for contractors, and implement a rehabilitation plan at a cost
of no less than $440,000.
Public Relations Campaign
These complaints have drawn a great deal of negative publicity. To bolster its public image, Timberwell
Constructions has issued a series of media release intended to demonstrate that the company is a good
corporate citizen.
The first media release explained how an Environmental Impact Assessment performed on the company’s
Otford Park development site discovered that 60% of the site was populated by the rare wallum sedge
frog.
The Assessment estimated the medium density residential development proposed for the site would
i
eversibly convert the habitat and render it inconsistent with the frogs’ survival on the site.
Timberwell is working with Stanwell Council and environmental groups to devise a strategy for managing
the proposed development of the site and the conservation of the wallum sedge frog.
The second media release explained that Timberwell Constructions is an energy efficient organisation. It
included the following energy consumption table for the company in the reporting period based on
calculation tools prescribed by the Australian Department of Industry and Science:
Fuel consumption from non-renewable sources 1.0 Gigajoule
Fuel consumption from renewable sources 0.5 Gigajoules
Electricity consumption 2.0 Gigajoules
Note: 1 Gigajoule = 109 joules
The media release also explained that Timberwell had implemented a program to raise its fuel
consumption from renewable resources to at least 50% of its total fuel consumption within the next three
years.
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The third media release explained the Timberwell Constructions goes to considerable expense to engage
local communities, perform impact assessments, and formulate social development programs for all
proposed residential developments. These initiatives include Environmental Impact Assessments, local
esident meetings, and local community development programs based on the local community’s need for
affordable social housing.
The fourth and final media release explained how Timberwell Constructions is working closely with
Stanwell Council to comply with the council’s proposed amendments to its Local Environmental Plan
(LEP).
In response to the warming effects of climate change and the increased risk of bushfires the Stanwell
Council proposes to amend its LEP to rezone specific areas in the Stanwell District as ‘bushfire prone’.
The LEP amendment is expected to take effect within 6 weeks.
Any new development in an area identified under the proposed LEP amendment as bushfire prone will be
equired to meet higher standards of bushfire safety including larger distances between buildings and land
oundaries and the use of fire retardant building materials.
Timberwell Constructions has a development site in the Stanwell district that is located in an area that will
e rezoned as bushfire prone under the LEP amendment. The new regulations could cost Timberwell as
much as $4 million to comply with. The company has engaged an external town planning firm to manage
the development application and work with Stanwell Council so as to minimise these potential costs. The
town planning firm is charging $50,000 for their services.
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Important Study Information
Academic Integrity Policy
KBS values academic integrity. All students must understand the meaning and consequences
of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Academic Integrity and Conduct
Policy.
What is academic integrity and misconduct?
What are the penalties for academic misconduct?
What are the late penalties?
How can I appeal my grade?
Click here for answers to these questions:
http:
www.kbs.edu.au/cu
ent-students/student-policies/.
Word Limits for Written Assessments
Submissions that exceed the word limit by more than 10% will cease to be marked from the point
at which that limit is exceeded.
Study Assistance
Students may seek study assistance from their