The Committee for Melbourne’s prestigious 2019 Melbourne Achiever Awards were announced at the dinner, honouring Peter Clemenger AO and The Australian Ballet for their outstanding contribution to Business and Arts and Culture in Melbourne.

The Award celebrates contributions to Melbourne that will leave a lasting legacy.

Committee for Melbourne CEO Martine Letts applauded Mr Clemenger’s significant innovation in creating a world-renowned agency Clemenger BBDO, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and over 60 consecutive years of philanthropic work. Peter is also a notable patron of the arts, establishing foundations and grants at the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victorian Arts Centre and an Honorary Life Member of The Australian Ballet and Life Patron of the Melbourne Theatre Company.

“Peter is an inspirational Melburnian, and he has enriched Australian business and cultural life through Clemenger BBDO and his support of the visual and performing arts and his philanthropic work. Peter’s generosity and involvement in so many worthy causes have been exemplary. In honouring Peter, we also honour the extraordinary contribution of Joan Clemenger, Peter’s wife and the work of the Joan and Peter Clemenger Trust established in 2001”, said Ms Letts.

“I am a little surprised to have won such a prestigious Committee for Melbourne award. Whatever I have done to deserve it, I have been very happy to support activities the Arts in Melbourne” said Peter Clemenger

Committee for Melbourne, Founder, Pamela Warrender AM presented the Melbourne Achiever Award to a good friend and early Committee advocate,Peter Clemenger AO.

The Australian Ballet was awarded the Melbourne Achiever Award for an outstanding organisation as one of the world’s most renowned ballet companies that has delivered celebrated performances for over 50 years.

“The Australian Ballet continues to evolve, caring for tradition but daring to be different. The recent renovation was ‘en pointe’ with their Southbank home providing world-class facilities to not only dancers, but the talented sports medicine team, onsite costumiers and staff, which truly showcases their commitment to excellence here in Melbourne” noted Ms Letts.

David McAllister, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, says, “We are absolutely honoured to be receiving the Committee for Melbourne’s Melbourne Achiever Award and even more so, delighted to be acknowledged as a Melbourneborn company which has contributed to and loved being based in this wonderful city for the past 56 years.

Andrew Penn, CEO Telstra

Tim Pallas, Treasurer of Victoria, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations

From the formation of the company in 1962 – when we worked out of somewhat modest our first ever studio in East Melbourne – to today when we are based in our newly refurbished Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre in Southbank, we have been proud to call this city home as we travel around Australia and the world each year. It is wonderful to be based in Melbourne, and to work here from our state of the art “Headquarters of Australian Ballet”. Melbourne and The Australian Ballet attract Australia’s most talented dancers and that inspires creativity, a place where extraordinary people can dream and achieve.

The Australian Ballet looks forward to continuing to inspiring and delighting the people of Melbourne and all Australians as we perform to audiences around Australia and internationally each year. Thank you for this great honour.”

The Committee welcomed several dignitaries to the Annual Dinner including Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp,

The Honourable John Brumby and Leighton Wood, CEO of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre provided the opening address, followed by Committee for Melbourne CEO Martine Letts and Chair, Scott Tanner. The Keynote address by Telstra CEO Andrew Penn looked at the role of Artificial Intelligence in an ever advancing world.

CEO Martine Letts presented an inspirational speech in line with the Annual Dinner’s theme of ‘Thinking Big’ and the need for collaboration.

“The Committee identified a greater need for collaboration along Australia’s Eastern Seaboard underpinned by high-speed land transit as a major strategic need in the ‘Melbourne 4.0 report’. This strategic need is a necessity to boost productivity and to maintain our international competiveness.

Australia needs Melbourne and Sydney to be centres of innovation, working together. On their own, they are unable to compete with innovative regions across the globe.

That’s why Committee for Melbourne, along with our friends at the Committee for Sydney, will to develop and promote this idea of an Australian East Coast Megaregion.

Yes, I know, Melbourne and Sydney working together is downright revolutionary.

But we are convinced that an Eastern Seaboard megaregion is a big idea which needs our collective attention to secure this great nations’ future! ” said Martine.

For more information or to get involved with the Committee for Melbourne, visit melbourne.org.au or call 03 9650 8800.

Martine Letts and Scott Tanner

His Excellency, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga Consul-General of Japan in Melbourne

Mr Anthony Howard AM QC

Mr Leighton Wood, Chief Operating Officer Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Mr Aaron Wood, Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne

The Hon. Linda Dessau AC, Libby Christie and Scott Tanner