The South Australian town of Goolwa has won the Resource Recovery & Waste Management category and a commendation in the Water Conservation category at the Keep Australia Beautiful, Australian Tidy Towns Awards 2009/10, announced in Canberra this week.
According to the Australian Tidy Towns National Judge, Dick Olesinski, Goolwa’s long Tidy Towns tradition continues with the community coordinating many projects, in partnership with Alexandrina Council, to ensure the town’s sustainability.
”Resource recovery initiatives are the key to Goolwa’s commitment to reducing the impact on their local environment, in particular landfill facilities. Recycling programs are a priority, with well organised community recycling systems in place”, he added.
Effective collection and diversion systems are available in Goolwa that enable the community to maximise opportunities to recover resources. Both Investigator College and Goolwa Primary School have resource recovery and recycling programs in place with proceeds being used to support projects such as World Vision.
Goolwa has a number of storm water catchment basins constructed throughout the town to capture and reuse stormwater, whilst Alexandrina Council’s irrigation efficiency program for its parks, reserves and gardens together with the use of local indigenous plants reduces water use by millions of litres per year.
Goolwa has been a regular name in the State and National awards. In 1998/99 it was Australia’s Tidiest Town and has represented SA as the State winner in 1996, 1998 and this year.
The Chairman of Keep Australia Beautiful, Don Chambers, commented: “It is always a pleasure to be able to recognise and promote the work that many dedicated individuals and communities are undertaking to protect and preserve their local environment and history. Congratulations to the community of Goolwa for their local sustainability practices and education.”
Beechworth in Victoria won the overall national title of Australia’s Tidiest Town for 2009/10.
Through the Australian Tidy Towns Awards, Keep Australia Beautiful is able to recognise local community and individual efforts that are helping rural and regional communities to become environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.
The awards are sponsored by Grundfos Pumps, the Hungry Jack’s ‘Bag it & Bin It’ program and Navman.
Goolwa was judged by KAB’s state representative body KESAB to represent SA in the Australian Tidy Towns Awards.
For further information visit www.kab.org.au
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