Wednesday 14th of October 2026 Latest Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: Orange welcomes NSW’s community champions for Tidy Towns Awards

Regional communities from across NSW will gather in Orange this weekend for the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KAB NSW) 2026 Tidy Towns Awards, with this year’s winners to be announced on Saturday 17 October.

As the 2025 Overall Tidy Towns Winner, Orange will host the awards weekend from 16–18 October, bringing together volunteers, councils, schools, businesses and community groups to celebrate local achievements and share ideas.

Bellingen, Coomba Park, Dungog, Leeton, Moss Vale, Parkes and Walcha are finalists for the Overall Tidy Towns Award. The successful town will represent NSW at the 2027 Australian Tidy Towns Awards.

The awards recognise achievements across biodiversity conservation, litter prevention, recycling, waste avoidance, climate action, heritage and community inclusion. They also celebrate the local heroes and young people helping shape their communities.

KAB NSW CEO Val Southam said the weekend was an opportunity to recognise the people behind these achievements.

“Across regional NSW, local people are giving their time and energy to projects that make a lasting difference to their communities,” Ms Southam said.

“The Tidy Towns Awards give us a chance to recognise that commitment and share ideas that other communities can put into practice. We look forward to celebrating this year’s finalists in Orange and seeing firsthand some of the initiatives that earned the city last year’s overall title.”

The weekend program includes community case study presentations, visits to local projects and attractions, and the awards dinner on Saturday evening.

Updates will be posted on KAB NSW’s social media channels (https://www.kabnsw.org.au/follow-our-socials/) throughout Saturday as the award winners are announced.

The awards are hosted by Keep Australia Beautiful NSW with support from Orange City Council, NSW Environment Protection Authority, Snowy Hydro and JR Richards & Sons.

[ENDS]

CONTACT DETAILS
Val Southam, Chief Executive Officer KABNSW at [email protected], t: 0419 016 401.
Alternate email contact: [email protected]

EDITOR’S NOTE:
About the KABNSW Tidy Towns Awards
Since 1981, the Tidy Towns Program has been rewarding and recognising projects around litter, waste management, recycling, heritage, community spirit and other environmental areas in towns both large and small across the breadth of NSW.

We endeavour to deliver an inclusive and positive platform that encourages shared learnings and inspires environmental action at the local level. The program recognises and celebrates those rural and regional communities who are pioneering the path towards a more sustainable future.

About KAB NSW
Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KABNSW) is the state’s premier organisation for litter reduction and environmental sustainability. Independent and not-for-profit, our focus is to engage communities to make NSW the least littered state in Australia, transforming littering behaviour to create a beautiful and more sustainable environment.

Over a 40-year history we have built a state-wide network of dedicated individuals, businesses, schools, community groups and government bodies striving to deliver a cleaner environment.

Through five core programs we work with communities across regional, metropolitan, and coastal NSW to educate and motivate environmental initiatives.

About Keep Australia Beautiful NSW

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About the KABNSW Tidy Towns Awards Since 1981, the Tidy Towns Program has been rewarding and recognising projects around litter, waste management, recycling, heritage, community spirit and other environmental areas in towns both large and small across the breadth of NSW. We endeavour to deliver an inclusive and positive platform that encourages shared learnings and inspires environmental action at the local level. The program recognises and celebrates those rural and regional communities who are pioneering the path towards a more sustainable future. About KAB NSW Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KABNSW) is the state’s premier organisation for litter reduction and environmental sustainability. Independent and not-for-profit, our focus is to engage communities to make NSW the least littered state in Australia, transforming littering behaviour to create a beautiful and more sustainable environment. Over a 40-year history we have built a state-wide network of dedicated individuals, businesses, schools, community groups and government bodies striving to deliver a cleaner environment. Through five core programs we work with communities across regional, metropolitan, and coastal NSW to educate and motivate environmental initiatives.

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