Bunbury Recognised In National Tidy Towns Awards!

City of Bunbury has been named a joint winner of the Community Health Wellbeing and Interest category at Keep Australia Beautiful’s 2020 Australian Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns Awards.

Youth Advisory Council Mayor Bella Burgemeister was also the winner of the Young Legends: Individual category. Running nationally since 1990, the Australian Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns 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.

They set out to acknowledge the hard work undertaken by individuals and groups in rural communities and share these best practices and ideas to improve Australia’s vibrant rural towns. The awards consist of nine special category awards followed by an overall National winner.

Beechworth, Victoria, was announced as the overall winner of the 2020 Australian Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns Awards, at an online event held on 14 October 2020. Bunbury was the joint winner of the Community Health Wellbeing and Interest category alongside Wilmot, Tasmania.

In October, the City was crowned the State Tidy Town champion as well as receiving the ‘Young Legends’ award for advocacy and the delivery of community projects by the City’s Youth Advisory Council. Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the awards acknowledged the commitments made by volunteers, the community and City staff.

“We are truly lucky to live in this beautiful City and this program has allowed us to promote Bunbury further on a national scale,” Mayor Brennan said.

“These awards are great recognition for not only Bella and our teams but the entire community who support these projects and the City’s waste management practices.”

Traditionally, the 2019 overall winner, Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte), Northern Territory, would have hosted this year’s awards event. However, due to the unprecedented circumstances brought on by COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 Awards Ceremony was held online.

Australian Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns judge Gail Langley commended Bunbury on the City’s strides to create initiatives that truly care for the health and well-being of all its residents, in turn building a strong, healthy, vibrant and accessible community.

“The City of Bunbury’s community culture and engagement team is all about the people and their wellbeing,” Ms Langley said.

“By creating wheelchair beach access at the Koombana Foreshore, and a disability friendly change room for those with profound needs, the team demonstrated projects that can be proudly adopted by other communities to improve the liveability of people in their midst with a disability.

“The Young Legends award winner, Bella Burgemeister, also demonstrated what can be accomplished when a great idea addressing the needs of some of the most vulnerable in the community is met with support.”

Val Southam, Chief Executive Keep Australia Beautiful commended all the finalists in this year’s Awards.

“Entrants in the Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns competition, who are largely volunteers, are some of the most dedicated and passionate people we are fortunate enough to be involved with,” she said.

“Every year, we are inspired by the high calibre of entries demonstrating enormous community pride and environmental action. This year, under such challenging circumstances, this dedication, community spirit and commitment truly shone through.” 

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