Keep Australia Beautiful has announced the Western Australian finalist, Gascoyne Junction as the winner of the 2023 Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards, at an event hosted by the 2022 winner King Island, Tasmania on Friday 19 May 2023.
Running nationally since 1990, the Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards have evolved to encompass projects and initiatives with a focus on environmental sustainability and resource management to reflect a growing awareness of the importance of community-led environmental action. The Tidy Towns name has always been synonymous with community pride, cohesion and above all, community action. The awards reach beyond tourism to encourage, motivate and celebrate the sustainability achievements of grassroots rural and regional communities across Australia.
Gascoyne Junction was also winner of the Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention, Environmental Sustainability – Water and Community Health, Wellbeing and Interest categories, joint winner with Euroa, Victoria in the Environmental Communication and Engagement category and highly commended in the Heritage and Culture and Environmental Sustainability – Energy categories.
The Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards judging panel said that the remote town, with a population of only 70, “is a true example of what communities can do when focused on strong community, innovative sustainability and self-reliance.
“A very active and dedicated community of volunteers play an enormous role in ensuring Gascoyne Junction flourishes and maintains its standing as a caring and dedicated community.
“The collective effect of this success has provided an incentive to continue to work together to achieve a common vision for a better environment, an enhanced quality of life and a sustainable future for all residents and visitors to Gascoyne Junction.”
Val Southam, Chief Executive, Keep Australia Beautiful commended all the finalists in this year’s Awards.
“We are fortunate to be associated with some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic people in the world through the Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards competition, which is largely run by volunteers.
“It is clear from the quality of projects entered in the National Awards Program that communities are passionate, committed, driven, and dedicated to making their communities special in every way.
“This is the true Tidy Towns spirit.”
The winners’ book and photographs are available at Sustainable Communities.
Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards Winners Table 2023
Overall Winner - Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention - Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Highly commended - Mount Liebig, Northern Territory
Special acknowledgement - Cedric Dixon, Mount Liebig, Northern Territory
Resource Recovery and Waste Management
Euroa, Victoria
Highly commended - Scone, New South Wales
Heritage and Culture
Oatlands, Tasmania & Mount Liebig, Northern Territory
Highly commended - Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Young Legends
Group - Belltrees Public School, Scone, New South Wales
Individual - Renzy Perez, Scone, New South Wales
Highly commended - Travis Baliva, Mount Liebig, Northern Territory
Environmental Sustainability - Energy
Euroa, Victoria
Highly commended - Mount Liebig, Northern Territory & Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Environmental Sustainability - Water
Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Highly commended - Mount Liebig, Northern Territory & Scone, New South Wales
Environmental Sustainability - Natural Environment Management
Euroa, Victoria
Highly commended - Oatlands, Tasmania
Environmental Communication and Engagement
Euroa, Victoria & Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Highly commended - Scone, New South Wales
Community Health, Wellbeing and Interest
Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia
Highly commended - Scone, New South Wales & Oatlands, Tasmania
National Media Comment: Val Southam, Chief Executive, Keep Australia Beautiful ceo@kab.org.au 0419 016 401
EDITOR’S NOTE:
About the Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards
Keep Australia Beautiful seeks to lead, challenge and inspire all Australians to strive for a sustainable and litter free environment. It does this through research, communications programs and awards programs.
Its national awards are known as the Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards. The Awards program commences with state and territory awards and culminates in a national Grand Final event.
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