SeaLink's efforts in tourism, transportation, business and export have been rewarded with numerous awards. SeaLink is now, by far, one of South Australia's most successful tour & transport operators.
1991 State Bank SA Tourism Award for Excellence in Tourism Transportation
1992 Bank SA SA Tourism Award Commendation for Excellence in Tourism Marketing
1993 Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) Principal of the Year - Shipping
1994 Bank SA South Australian Tourism Award for Excellence in Tourism Marketing
1994 Bank SA South Australian Tourism Award for Excellence in Tourism Transportation
1994 Bank SA South Australian Tourism Award for Excellence in Inbound Tourism
1998 SA Tourism Awards Commendation for Excellence in Tour and Transportation
1998 Kangaroo Island Business Awards – Tourism & Transport Operator
1998 Kangaroo Island Business Awards – Business with more than 10 Employees
1999 Yellow Pages SA Tourism Award for Tour and Transport Operators – Major
1999 Yellow Pages SA Tourism Award for Tourism, Marketing and Promotion Campaigns
2000 SA Great Regional Award Tourism
2000 SA Tourism Award for Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2000 Australian Tourism Award for Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2001 Yellow Pages SA Tourism Award for Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2002 Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Yellow Pages SA Tourism Awards
2002 Yellow Pages SA Tourism Award Tour and Transport Operators - Major
2004 SA Tourism Award Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2004 Business SA – Export Award, Tourism
2004 SA Great Regional Tourism Award, Tourism
2004 National Travel Industry Awards – Best Australian Wholesaler
2005 SA Tourism Award Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2005 Australian Tourism Award Major Tour and Transport Operators
2006 SA Tourism Award Tour and Transport Operators – Major
2006 SA Tourism Hall of Fame Winner
2006 SA Great South Australian of the Year - Tourism
Kangaroo Island SeaLink also holds National Tourism Accreditation and is a Kangaroo Island Quality business.
The SeaLink Travel Group is proud to have a significant and rewarding level of community involvement. People everywhere rely on the support and assistance they receive from the many organisations dedicated to helping and improving the community. From helping those less fortunate than ourselves, those who are seriously ill, to helping keep Australia beautiful, the efforts of these organisations make an extraordinary difference to the lives of all Australians, as well as those in need around the world.
The SeaLink Travel Group endeavours to support those companies, associations and events that benefit the wider community as a whole, particularly our close communities of Kangaroo Island, Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide.
The drive and determination that helps to build a successful business are the same qualities that are needed to succeed in almost anything. Through our sponsorships we are able to offer our support and encouragement within the community.
Below are some of the events, organisations and charities that the SeaLink Travel Group proudly sponsors and which benefit the wider community as a whole. We have numerous other sponsorship commitments which have not been mentioned but which are equally significant to the wider community.
Just as important as the corporate support provided by the SeaLink Travel Group to our community organisations, is the support of SeaLink Travel Group staff themselves through the many volunteer tasks they undertake throughout the year.
Every year, countless SeaLink Travel Group employees and friends contribute their time and services to many important causes. Our staff bring compassion and commitment to every task.
Volunteer work amongst our staff include:
With our spectacular natural landscape and unique wildlife being the essence of our country and in particular, Kangaroo Island, the SeaLink Travel Group is acutely aware of the need to protect, respect and conserve this rich and fragile environment and we are committed to implementing processes and policies that will help protect the environment for generations to come.
SeaLink's Environmental Policy includes:
A commitment to minimising environmental impacts on port infrastructure.
Allocation of appropriate resources to comply with the requirements of the environmental system.
Staff are encouraged to practice good environmental behaviour and to offer alternative solutions to issues they see as environmentally pertinent.
A commitment to minimise the volume of toxicity in pollution.
Being a responsible operator in advising our customers of the importance of bio-security e.g. advising customers of the restrictions on taking certain food products and animals to the Island.
SeaLink offers a range of sponsorships to organisations supporting environmental sustainability including:
KESAB (Keep South Australia Beautiful) & Kangaroo Island Council recycling and waste management program. Our aim is for world class environment performance.
University of SA Wildlife Management Strategies in Australia Study.
La Trobe University, Victoria, for Sea Mammal Ecology Research Program.
CSIRO Canberra - Sustainable Ecosystems, trends in abundance in NZ fur seals.
Research on NZ fur Seal populations - PhD Candidates School of Earth and Environmental Studies.
What we do to ensure our operations have minimal negative impacts on our environment.
The SeaLink Travel Group is actively involved in resource management including recycling, and water and energy efficiency projects.
Recycling Initiatives - Aluminium cans, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes are collected from our ferry services and recycled. Recycling bins have also been placed on each ferry and at each ferry terminal to encourage passengers to recycle. Printer cartridges are recycled.
SeaLink ensures the operation of ferry services has minimal negative impact on the port marine environment by slowing down the engines so that the wake does not impact on the shore.
The sewerage treatment plant onboard "Spirit of Kangaroo Island" ferry uses a process that treats the product to a degree that it can be re-used for re-flushing the toilets.
All day tour stops for our coach tour passengers are at pre-determined, environmentally-hardened venues with appropriate facilities for groups.
Our passengers are instructed not to handle the wildlife - except where permissible.
If livestock waste spills or escapes from livestock trucks on board our ferries, the vehicle deck is hosed down and all waste is collected in a special drainage waste management system.
Fuel consumption saving practices have been put into place for ferries by decreasing RPM's (revs per minute) to ensure a disproportionate amount of fuel is not consumed.
SeaLink are currently assessing how we can reduce carbon emissions within our organisation. The first stage will be to take an inventory of our emissions and then reduce the amount of energy we use – chiefly through a spectrum of energy efficiency measures.
Once energy efficiency has been maximized, a variety of potential next steps may include fuel shifting (such as burning biodiesel, which can be a carbon-neutral fuel) to office practices, power saving, water catchment and tree planting to further reduce the CDEs (carbon dioxide equivalents).
