It’s time to tidy up our towns
Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Chief Executive Matthew Taylor has encouraged towns and cities along the North Coast to enter the annual community-based Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Awards program.
“The Tidy Towns-Sustainable Cities Awards program – now in its 27th year — is the flagship of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW and provides a framework to foster and recognise group and individual endeavours that protect, preserve and enhance our local environments,” he said.
“Tidy Towns, now much more than just a ‘beauty contest’, also addresses the individual issues and complex challenges of building sustainable communities. The hundreds of projects nominated each year exemplify the huge difference that community participation can make to the places where we live, work and play and typify the strength of pride throughout rural and regional New South Wales.
“Communities such as Grafton (1983 State Winner) and Ballina (1994 State Winner) along with Dorrigo and Wilsons Creek have enjoyed previous successes with the program and I encourage other communities in the region to take up the Tidy Towns challenge.
“Climate change will be a keen focus of the 2007 awards through the introduction of the Energy Innovation Award generously sponsored by Country Energy. The award will recognise community efforts that are helping to offset or reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”
As well as the overall title of New South Wales’ Tidy Town of the Year, awards will be given in the following categories:
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NSW Heritage Office – Cultural Heritage Award
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Packaging Stewardship Forum Litter Prevention and Waste Minimisation Award
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National Parks & Wildlife – Wildlife Corridors and Habitats Conservation Award
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Country Energy - Energy Innovation Award
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Dept of Commerce – School Environment Award
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ClubsNSW – Clubs Partnership Award
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Best Western – Friendly Town Award
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Civic Partnership Award
Entries close on June 15. For further information on the 2007 Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities Awards and to obtain nomination forms and details, please contact Peter McLean, Programs Manager, Keep Australia Beautiful NSW, 02 9633 3380, m 0416 227 158 or visit the website www.kabnsw.org.au
