GREENBUSHES is the South West’s Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities regional winner for 2014.
Keep Australia Beautiful WA Chairman Mel Hay said Greenbushes, a consistent entrant in the tidy town contest, was to be congratulated for taking out the top award announced in Collie today.
“Greenbushes is a historic mining, timber milling and agricultural town well-known for the spirit of its small community of 660 people,” he said.
“Greenbushes has been a consistent Tidy Towns entrant and winner and we recognise the incredible and ongoing effort made by the people of this town to care for the environment.”
Projects that impressed the judges this year included the final stages of a long-term rehabilitation project at Schwenke’s Dam, aimed at protecting more than 30 species of waterbirds in the area.
“The modification of the dam is now complete and volunteers have held the first major planting day, identifying the best spots to set up bird hides,” Mr Hay said.
The judges recognised Greenbushes’ Blackwood Basin Group for its work to identify, catalogue and monitor the area’s macroinvertebrate species, creating a valuable educational resource for the community.
Greenbushes also hosted the inaugural meeting the ‘South West Alliance for a Litter Less Link’ to address the issue of litter on main roads between local governments, launching the initiative with a litter drive.
This year’s South West category winners are Community Action and Partnerships-Yarloop, General Appearance-Boddington, Waste Management and Litter Prevention-Bunbury, Natural Environment Conservation-Harvey, Heritage and Culture-Collie, Water Conservation-Collie, Energy Innovation-Greenbushes and Young Legends-North Dandalup.
Special commendations went to the environmental leaders at Greenbushes Primary School for their ongoing commitment to revegetate the school’s bush block, Pemberton for its new streetscape design and the Harvey community for the Harvey Diversion and Drainage Scheme Memorial.
Greenbushes will compete with other regional winners for the overall WA Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities title in November.