Rockhampton crowned Queensland’s most Sustainable Community for 2020
Published on 16 December 2020
It’s a day to take pride in our remarkable Region, because we’ve taken out the title of Queensland’s ‘Tidy Town’!
Keep Australia Beautiful announced Rockhampton Regional Council as the overall winner of the 2020 Queensland Sustainable Communities Tidy Towns award.
Acting Mayor Neil Fisher said this is a testament to all of the hard work, dedication and innovation across Council.
“Being announced as the overall winner is a result of the strong performance across multiple nomination categories,” Acting Mayor Fisher said.
“As well as taking out the overall award, we were pleased to be announced winners for the Environmental Sustainability – Water and the Resource Recovery / Waste Management categories.”
“It is great to see the concepts of our circular economy, which began just a few short years ago, come into fruition.
“This is a win for our whole organisation, and our community.”
Waste and Recycling Councillor Shane Latcham said that being awarded in the Resource Recovery and Waste Management category is a shared win for Council’s Waste and Civil Operations units.
“This award recognises innovation and achievements in reducing and managing materials that would otherwise go to waste and is a great example of Council working toward building a circular economy for the Rockhampton Region,” Cr Latcham said.
Infrastructure Councillor Tony Williams said that working alongside the team at Rockhampton Regional Waste and Recycling to recycle materials for infrastructure projects has not only benefited the environment but it has also delivered a considerable cost saving.
“Through this project, Council has diverted 34,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste for reprocessing and reuse as concrete, asphalt and top soil, saving Council $5.6m,” Cr Williams said.
Water and Supporting a Better Environment Councillor Donna Kirkland said she was thrilled with the results.
“The Environmental Sustainability – Water category recognises leadership and innovation in water conservation and management for the future, so it is fantastic to be recognised for the work we’re doing,” Cr Kirkland said.
“The Fitzroy River estuary is a vitally important waterway that supports an abundance of aquatic wildlife and provides significant recreational value to the local community, and the upgrades Council and Fitzroy River Water have implemented have delivered more than a 20% reduction in nitrogen released to the Fitzroy River estuary over the last two years.”
Running nationally since 1990, the Keep Australia Beautiful 2020 Queensland Sustainable Communities – Tidy Towns awards have evolved to encompass projects and initiatives with a focus on environmental sustainability and resource management to reflect a growing awareness of the importance of community-led environmental action. The awards recognise the hard work undertaken by regional towns, councils, individuals and groups and share these best practices and ideas to continue to improve our vibrant rural towns.
The judges commented that Rockhampton delivered a range of well planned and executed projects demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability and the community across all awards categories, making the town highly deserving of the win.
Watch the online announcement at: https://youtu.be/nvPJeHcc5Yo