Hawkesbury City Council is honoured and humbled to be crowned the overall winner at the 2026 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Awards.
Council was named the winner of the Overall Sustainable Cities Award on Thursday afternoon in an extremely competitive field of six finalists – including runners up Sutherland Shire Council.
In announcing the award, it was determined that: "Supportive leadership, engaged staff and strong partnerships have made sustainability a shared responsibility across Council. From litter prevention and sustainable events to resource recovery and climate resilience, Hawkesbury connects practical environmental action with everyday services and community participation."
Hawkesbury City Council also picked up three other accolades at the awards:
Litter Prevention
Joint Winner
Hawkesbury Litter Prevention Program
"The program combined bin audits, local litter checks, operational changes and community clean-ups, helping Council target litter at its source and better coordinate prevention efforts."
Plastic Free Cities
Highly Commended
Leading the Way with Sustainable Events
"Council's updated policy, practical guidelines and sustainability self-assessment help organisers incorporate environmental actions into Council events and local events receiving Council sponsorship."
Communication and Engagement
Highly Commended
Hawkesbury Litter Education and Engagement
"Face-to-face activities and social media encouraged residents to prevent and report litter, generating strong online engagement and securing 189 Report a Tosser sign-ups."
Hawkesbury City Council places a major emphasis on championing environmental sustainability, striving daily to embed best-practice sustainability practices into everything we do and taking very seriously our role as a leader within our community through policy change and offering education and support programs and opportunities.
About the Awards
Since 1994, the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards have recognised and celebrated environmental initiatives, sustainability projects, and community leadership across metropolitan councils and urban communities.
The program highlights projects that deliver positive environmental outcomes in areas such as litter prevention, waste management, recycling, resource recovery, environmental education, and community engagement.
