Western Australia's regional and remote communities have been recognised at the 2022 Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Awards, with Gascoyne Junction taking out the top honour.
This year, 27 community finalists competed across eight categories in the Keep Australia Beautiful Council's annual awards.
Gascoyne Junction also won the Environmental Sustainability category for leading the way with its litter prevention initiatives and water planning.
Collie's Terry Ransome was named 2022 Litter Legend for his litter clean-ups spanning four decades, while Nyabing's Adele Collins took out the Future Leaders Award.
The Shire of Exmouth received the Community Containers for Change Award for most effectively using its 10 cent container deposit scheme refunds, with more than 1.64 million containers recycled and $164,000 raised by the community.
Other category winners included Carnamah, Albany, Williams, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, City of Karratha and Horrocks.
The Awards are funded by the State Government through the Waste Authority and supported by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Main Roads Western Australia, Natsales Advertising, WA Return Recycle Renew Ltd, Vanguard Press and Western Australian Landcare Network Group.
For more information on the winners, visit www.kabc.wa.gov.au/get-involved/tidy-towns-sustainable-communities/
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"I congratulate all the winners and finalists who have gone above and beyond in reducing litter, making your community proud.
"Gascoyne Junction has shown with determination and community support, towns can become more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
"For more than 50 years, these awards have showcased the important work happening right across our State and I look forward to that continuing as we move towards a more sustainable WA."
| Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities 2022 Award Winners | |
| Category | Winner and project |
| Litter Prevention and Waste Management | Carnamah: Funding community groups via resource recovery |
| Young Legends | Albany: Youth Advisory Council Heywire Project |
| Environmental Sustainability | Gascoyne Junction: Water conservation and future-proofing |
| Environmental Education | Williams: Williams Wildlife Warriors |
| Heritage and Culture | Kalgoorlie-Boulder: Goldfields Aboriginal Language Centre |
| General Appearance | City of Karratha: Beautification - Bayley Avenue, city roundabouts and streetscapes |
| Community Action and Wellbeing | Horrocks: Glance over lookout |
| Future Leaders Award | Nyabing: Adele Collins |
| Community Containers for Change | Shire of Exmouth: Exmouth Containers for Change |
| Litter Legend | Shire of Collie: Terry Ransome |
| State Winner | Gascoyne Junction |
