Entry

Entries closed on 22nd August

Eligibility

Entrants (individuals or each member of a team) must provide documentary evidence that they are

An Australian Citizen, or
A Permanent Resident, or
A New Zealand citizen who holds a valid Special Category Visa and a current Australian Tax File Number

and that they will be less than 31 years of age &/or less than 22 years of age as at 30 June 2008.

Acceptable proof of Australian Citizenship:

A valid Australian Passport or other documentary proof issued by the Australian Government.

Acceptable proof of Permanent Residency:

A valid Permanent Resident Visa or other documentary proof issued by the Australian Government.

Acceptable proof of New Zealand Citizenship and holder of Special Category Visa and Australian Tax File Number:

A valid New Zealand Passport or other documentary proof issued by the New Zealand Government
A valid Special Category Visa, and
A current Australian Tax File Number.

Acceptable proof of Age:

Passport, birth certificate or drivers licence or other documentary proof issued by a State Government or the Australian Government or a Government organisation.

For all of the above, at the entry stage a signed photocopy is sufficient. However all short listed entrants will be required to present original documentation in person to a trusted Warren Centre representative prior to their essay being considered by the Competition Judges.

Process

Entry is by a two stage process

On-line registration of entrants
Hard copy submission of essays and related documentation

Registration

A registry is established to provide a data base of potential and actual contestants to facilitate communication during the competition

Information contained in the registry shall be controlled by The Warren Centre and shall not be divulged to any third party without consent of the registrant.

Essay team registrants will be provided by email with a Unique Registration Number which shall be the only identification placed on each page of the registrant’s essay

Submission

Each entrant must deliver to TWC at Engineering Link Building J13, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 via hand, courier or Australia post:

2 hard copies of the essay. One copy must be bound, the second copy unbound;
1 soft copy of the essay. The soft copy must be submitted on a CD in PDF or Word format; and
A completed Essay Submission Form.

Emailed or faxed essays will not be accepted.

TWC will send to each entrant by email, where available, an electronic notice confirming TWC's receipt of the entrant's essay (Confirmation of Receipt of Essay).

Essays will not be returned. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure they keep a copy of their essay.

Terms and Conditions of Entry

1. General

1.2 All information included on The Warren Centre (TWC) website including but not limited to how to enter, prizes and all rules established for the National Energy Essay Competition (NEEC), form part of these Terms and Conditions.

1.3 Entry into the NEEC is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

1.4 The NEEC commences at 9.00 am EST on Monday 26 May 2008 (Start Date) and finishes at 5.00 pm on Friday 22 August 2008 (Close Date).

1.5 The Close Date may be extended to a date occurring after Friday 22 August 2008 if less than 50 essays have been received by TWC by 22 August 2008. All entrants will be advised if the Close Date is extended and offered the opportunity to resubmit if they so desire.

2. Who can enter?

2.1 Entrants must be under 31 years of age as at 30 June 2008.

2.2 Entries may be authored by a maximum of 3 persons. Where an essay is authored by more than one person, each author must be registered online according to clause 3.1(a).

2.3 Any entry selected for consideration of the prize for entrants under 22 years of age must have been submitted by a team of entrants, who are all under 22 years of age as at 30 June 2008.

2.4 Every entrant into the competition must be

(a) an Australian citizen, or

(b) a Permanent Resident, or

2.5 Employees, board members and editorial advisers of TWC and members of their immediate family are not eligible to enter the NEEC.

3. How to enter

3.1 Entry into the NEEC is via a 2 stage process.

(a) Online registration of NEEC entries

(i) Entrants must complete and submit the online Registration Form which is available on the NEEC website (www.neec.org.au).

(ii) Registration opens on the Start Date.

(iii) The online Registration Form requires entrants to make a declaration of age and citizenship or residency status.

(iv) TWC will provide each entrant with an electronic notice confirming TWC's receipt of the entrant's online Registration Form (Confirmation of Registration). The Confirmation of Registration will provide each entrant with a Unique Registration Number.

(b) Submission of essays

(i) Entrants will be able to submit essays from the Start Date until the Close Date.

(ii) Each entrant is only eligible to enter the NEEC once, either as an individual or as a co-author of an essay.

(iii) An Essay Submission Form must be submitted with the essay. The Essay Submission Form is available from the NEEC Website from the Start Date and contains:

(1) A declaration of age and citizenship or residency status

(2) A warranty by the entrant that their essay is entirely their original work, not on offer to any other publication or for any other prize, has not been previously been published, released or distributed, and does not defame, damage or infringe any third party's rights, its privacy or intellectual property in any other works anywhere in the world.

(iv) Each entrant must deliver to TWC at Engineering Link Building J13, The University of Sydney NSW 2006 via hand, courier or Australia post:

(1) 2 hard copies of the essay. One copy must be bound, the second copy unbound;

(2) 1 soft copy of the essay. The soft copy must be submitted on a CD in PDF or Word format; and

(3) A completed Essay Submission Form.

(v) Emailed or faxed essays will not be accepted.

(vi) No responsibility will be taken for lost, late or misdirected entries. It is the entrants responsibility to ensure TWC receives their essay before the Close Date.

(vii) Incomplete or incomprehensible essays may be deemed invalid.

(viii) TWC will send to each entrant by email, where available, an electronic notice confirming TWC's receipt of the entrant's essay (Confirmation of Receipt of Essay).

(ix) Essays will not be returned. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure they keep a copy of their essay.

4. Essay Guidelines

4.1 Each entry must be an original essay (written in English).

4.2 The essay must not exceed 10,000 words. The word limit does not include:

(a)the synopsis of the essay (the word limit of the synopsis is 500 words); or

(b)exhibits and appendices.

4.3 Each page of the essay must:

(a)be sequentially numbered; and

(b)contain each author's Unique Registration Number on the top right hand corner of each essay page.

4.4 Entrant's names must not appear on any page of the essay.

4.5 References and sources of quotations must be clearly annotated and accurately recorded. TWC may check any or all references and quotations.

5. Judgement of entries

5.1 A panel of judges appointed by TWC (Judging Panel) will determine the winning essays of the NEEC from a shortlist selected by TWC.

5.2 Essays will be judged anonymously, the entrants being identified only by their Unique Registration Number.

5.3 The Judging Panel has absolute discretion to:

(a)declare incomplete or incomprehensible essays invalid; and

(b)award prizes to the winning entrants.

5.4 If, in the opinion of the Judging Panel, the essays submitted do not justify an award of a prize then no award will be made by TWC.

5.5 The decision of the Judging Panel is final and binding on all entrants and TWC. No correspondence will be entered into.

6. Announcement of the Result

6.1 TWC will announce the winning entrants of the NEEC by publishing the winning entrant’s names on the web site

6.2 The winning entrants will be notified of this fact by email (where available), or by telephone or Australia post.

6.3 Prizes will be awarded in the form of an Electronic Funds Transfer to the winning entrant's nominated bank account(s). Tax implications may arise from the prize winnings. Independent tax advice should be sought by winning entrants in relation to the tax treatment of any prize winnings received by them.

6.4 The winning entrants will be responsible for all expenses incurred by them in attending any formal presentation ceremony in Sydney. Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed by TWC on submission of vouched tax invoices to TWC. Reimbursement will be limited to transport within Australia, transport to and from the ceremony, and reasonable accommodation, meals and ancillary costs.

7. Participation in media activities

7.1 Winning entrants may be required to take part in media activities connected with the announcement of the winners of the NEEC and the award of prizes, including possible selection of a ‘people’s choice prize, without further remuneration.

8. Publication of submitted entries

8.1 TWC retains the copyright in all essays. No copyright restraint may be asserted by entrants.

8.2 TWC, Channel 7 and "The Australian" may publish any of the essays submitted to TWC, either in whole or in part, without the need for further approval from entrants.

8.3 An essay, or part of an essay, cannot be published at any time before 2012, other than by TWC, Channel 7 or "The Australian", without the prior written consent of TWC.

9. Indemnity

9.1 Each entrant indemnifies TWC and the Judging Panel from and against all actions, proceedings, costs, damages, claims, demands, expenses, losses and liabilities whatsoever arising from or by reason of any breach by them of any of these Terms and Conditions.

10. Miscellaneous

10.1 TWC reserves the right in its sole discretion to verify the validity of entrants and entries. No entrant may claim privacy or privilege in relation to such validity checking.

10.2 TWC reserves the right to disqualify and recover damages and other compensation from any entrant who TWC has reason to believe has breached any of these Terms and Conditions, or has engaged in any unlawful or other misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the NEEC.

10.3 TWC reserves the right to cancel the NEEC. If the NEEC is cancelled, TWC will be under no obligation to award any prize.