A story gathering project, free filtered water bubblers and a swap party that has gone national were just some of the winning projects at the 2009–2010 New South Wales Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards announced last November.
Now in their 13th year, the Awards are managed by the Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales (LGSA) and acknowledge the outstanding achievements made by councils in protecting the environment.
More than 30 councils and regional groups across the State were recognised in 12 categories.
Strathfield City Council was declared Overall Winner of the Local Sustainability Award for its commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of Council through the Strathfield Sustainability Framework project.
Local Government Association President, Councillor Keith Rhoades, said Local Government is at the forefront of sustainability and environmental best practice.
“Councils are truly leading the way in environmental management, with many of the winning projects being picked up by other councils and organisations around Australia and overseas,” he said.
“The high volume and calibre of the entries demonstrate that the environment is of the highest priority to councils.
“We received 89 entries this year – a remarkable achievement when you consider there are only 152 councils in New South Wales.”
Shires Association President Councillor Bruce Miller said that all councils demonstrated originality, commitment and leadership.
“What I enjoy most is seeing the innovative solutions councils come up with to deal with complex problems – whether it is engaging local communities through exploration days, designing new tools to assess conservation or working with their local universities to deliver results,” Councillor Miller said.
The award presentation was a ‘green event’, with all associated greenhouse gas emissions offset by green power purchases.
Other award categories included:
Further details and a full list of winners and finalists are available on the Local Government Excellence in
the Environment Awards website at
www.lgsa-plus.net.au/EnvironmentAwards.
