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Landscaping and family law experts among Awards finalists

A woman who ignored advice that landscape maintenance was “a man’s job” and built up a business across southern Tasmania is a finalist for the 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Women’s Awards.

Alison Flakemore, director of Alison’s Garden & Landscape Pty Ltd, is a contender for the Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award in the national Awards program introduced by Telstra in 1995.

It was at her first pre-tender meeting in 2000 that Ms Flakemore was told the competitive landscaping industry was not a job for a woman.

It wasn’t long before Ms Flakemore, whose love of the outdoors had led her to complete a trade certificate in horticulture at night while employed full time at Transport Tasmania, won her first horticultural contract with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Today, Ms Flakemore’s Lindisfarne business employs 21 staff, manages garden maintenance for 400 properties and has a landscaping division that has won long-term DHHS contracts for its properties across South-East and South-West Tasmania.

Family law specialist Susan Fahey, Managing Solicitor of the Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, is one of four finalists for the White Pages Community & Government Award.

The North Hobart based service provides free legal advice, information and referrals to about 1000 disadvantaged Tasmanian women each year, usually around family law and domestic violence.

Ms Fahey, who has spent a decade with the legal service, has driven its growth in reaching more women in rural areas, representing greater numbers in court and lobbying extensively for law reform.

She says the publicly-funded service “runs like a law firm but on a very small budget.”

Jessica Tyler, Manager of the Save The Tasmanian Devil Appeal, which supports research to stem the devils’ facial tumour disease, is one of the finalists for the Nokia Innovation Award.

Other Hobart finalists include Dr Katrena Stephenson, Policy Director at the Local Government Association of Tasmania, the peak body representing 28 Tasmanian councils, and Genevieve Atkins, a travel industry veteran and executive of The Travel Studio who created a program for travellers to help disadvantaged communities in developing countries.

Noel Hunt, Telstra Country Wide Area General Manager for Hobart and Southern Tasmania, said the achievements of entrepreneurs such as Alison Flakemore and other finalists were an inspiration to the local community.

“Telstra has run the Business Women’s Awards program for 17 years to celebrate the leadership, innovation and hard work of extraordinary women like all 2011 finalists,” Mr Hunt said.

Chris Carr, Nokia Australia Managing Director, said: “We’ve been involved in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards for four years sponsoring the Innovation category.

“This year, the response and quality of entries has been outstanding, which makes the task of choosing the finalists all the more difficult,” Mr Carr said.

“What we look for in an individual is entrepreneurial drive, innovation and a desire to succeed. Each of the finalists has displayed these qualities throughout their careers.”

Winners of the 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Women’s Awards will be announced at a gala luncheon on 5 October in Hobart. The winners share in $200,000 in cash and prizes and become part of an exclusive national business alumni.

The Tasmanian winners proceed to the national finals of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards which will be announced in Melbourne on 18 November.

Finalists for the 2011 Telstra Tasmanian Business Women’s Awards are:

Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award

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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network

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