Griffith City Council's efforts to improve the management of roadside vegetation has earned a prestigious prize in the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Excellence in the Environment Awards, announced at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday, 3 December.
Council was named the Division A and Overall Category Winner of the Roadside Environmental Management Award for its Roadside Reserves Project - An innovative solution to measuring and revaluing Griffith's roadside reserves.
In implementing this two-year project, Council engaged ecologists to undertake a comprehensive survey of all 1,348kms of roadside reserves, detailing the vegetation communities and their condition.
This survey data was then used to inform the development of Griffith's Roadside Vegetation Management Plan (RVMP), a Roadside Reserves Vegetation Management Guide and an online tablet platform and training program.
Griffith Mayor, Councillor John Dal Broi, said it is great to see Council's commitment to the environment being recognised.
"I would like to congratulate the team involved in this project," said Cr Dal Broi.
"The development of this roadside reserves environmental management project, including the delivery of an interactive tablet platform, will allow Council staff to work within our LGA's roadside reserve ensuring Council does not have a detrimental impact on protected or threatened plants, animals or endangered ecological communities."
Environmental, Health & Sustainability Coordinator Fiona de Wit said, "This award is an excellent outcome for the organisation and a significant accolade in a competitive field of significantly larger Councils. This project was delivered as a result of a significant and collaborative team effort".
"There is great value in undertaking and delivery projects such as this ensuring Council's operations do not detrimentally impact the integrity and quality of our existing and limited roadside reserve vegetation. Council, having surveyed and assessed 1350kms of Griffith LGA's roadside reserves, is now in a well-informed and strong position to preserve into the future our existing roadside reserve vegetation having also prioritised future rehabilitation works along roadside reserves," she said.
This project has also earned a place in the spotlight as a future video case study on the Local Government NSW website.
