Green Connect, which employs former refugees and young people, was one of 15 enterprises from around the world to receive the Secretary-General's Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards, which will be announced this morning.

Governor-General David Hurley spoke with the Green Connect team this week and congratulated them.

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"Green Connect is an outstanding initiative - over the last decade they've built an impressive, innovative model that reduces waste, improves sustainability and increases connection in the community," General Hurley said.

"They are a local group that is now having an international impact and, on behalf of all Australians, I congratulate them for the award and thank them for their inspirational work."

The farm produces fruit, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey and free-range meat for the local community. Green Connect said over the past year its farm had sold 35,000kg of food, fed 155 families per week, employed seven people permanently and more than 30 people casually, and run tours and workshops for more than 1,900 visitors.

General Manager Kylie Flament said she hoped the recognition would inspire similar projects around Australia and the world.

"We took on the farm to create employment opportunities for former refugees in our community experiencing unemployment, and farming was something they were skilled at and wanted to do," she said. "As a result, we've had some of the best farmers in Australia working at the farm.

"This award recognises almost a decade of tireless work: in licencing the land, in attracting millions of dollars in funding and trade revenue, in creating a space for local food, community, jobs and inclusion."

"We've made our corner of the world a better place and in doing so we have - hopefully - created a blueprint for others to do the same."

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