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Collie has claimed the title of South West Regional Winner for the 2011 Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities Award at the regional awards ceremony held in Walpole today.
Keep Australia Beautiful WA Tidy Towns State Program Manager Gail Dodd said Collie's strong performance, which engaged all sectors of the community, including youth, had made it the deserving winner of the regional title.
"Collie has embraced effective water management strategies covering a broad spectrum of actions ranging from installing tap timers for basins and showers at the community swimming pool to establishing bio-retention gardens to reduce the impact of pollutants in stormwater runoff," she said.
"The town has also taken a major step forward in environmental management though a well-planned approach addressing a number of concerns including the condition of the Collie River.
"Through a five-year management plan work is underway to tackle the weed problem and rehabilitate the river. So far 10,000 reeds have been planted as part of four different ‘treatment' trials that are underway.
"Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities is about much more than keeping towns clean and tidy. The awards recognise towns for their achievements in working towards sustainability including preserving their culture, protecting the environment and amenity of their towns."
South West category winners were:
- Community Action: Walpole
- General Appearance: Boddington
- Recycling and Waste Management: Bunbury
- Natural Heritage Conservation: Collie
- Enhancing Cultural Identity: Greenbushes
- Water Conservation: Collie
A special commendation was awarded to Barbara Bracken from Metricup for her dedicated work on restoring an iconic landmark, St John's Anglican Church in Metricup.
Mrs Dodd said Collie now would compete with other regional winners for the overall WA Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities title to be announced at the State awards ceremony on 18 November. All regional category winners are in the running for a State category award.
"We were really impressed with the entries in the South West region and I wish them all the best in their ongoing efforts to build vibrant and sustainable communities," she said.
Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities is a Keep Australia Beautiful program. The Department of Environment and Conservation provides administrative, logistical and policy support to the Keep Australia Beautiful Council WA. This project is supported by the Western Australian Waste Authority through the Landfill Levy Fund.
Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities is sponsored by Grundfos Pumps Pty Ltd, GWN7, the Department of Regional Development and Lands, West Australian Regional Newspapers and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
For more information about the Tidy Towns - Sustainable Communities program go to http://www.kabc.wa.gov.au/ or contact Gail Dodd on 6467 5131.
Media contact: DEC Media 6467 5555.
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