PRESS RELEASE: Australia’s 2023 Tidy Towns Sustainability Award Winners demonstrate regional Australia’s commitment to sustainability

Keep Australia Beautiful has announced the winners of the 2023 Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards.

The Western Australian finalist, Gascoyne Junction was announced as the overall 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 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. 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.

The finalist for New South Wales, Scone was awarded winner of both the Group (Belltrees Public School) and Individual (Renzy Perez) Young Legend’s categories.

Scone also received highly commended in the Resource Recovery and Waste Management, Environmental Communication and Engagement and Community Health, Wellbeing and Interest categories.

The Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards judging panel commended Scone on its younth engagement initiatives.

“Belltrees Public School practices a holistic approach to environmental initiatives. This technique has built a culture of inquiry, problem-solving and agency into students, readying them for the challenges in the future.

“As the school’s Youth Environment Council president, Renzy Perez led, inspired, and informed. He worked tirelessly to ensure that the school’s projects are successful, from bottle sorting to pasture cropping to tree planting to composting.”

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 www.sustainablecommunities.com.au.