Longreach Cleans Up at the Australian Tidy Towns Awards 2013

MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 17 May 2013 4.30pm AEST
Media Contact Peter McLean
Phone 0416 227 158
Email peter@kab.org.au

Mark Watt CEO Longreach Regional Council, Val Southam KABNA Snr Vice Chair (NSW, Gabrielle Mitchell Longreach High School, Mayor Joe Owens, Rick Burnett Keep Queensland Beautiful, Cr Jocelyn Avery Longreach Regional Council.

The Queensland town of Longreach has won the Heritage and Culture Award at the Keep Australia Beautiful, Australian Tidy Towns Awards 2013, in a tie with Wugularr, Northern Territory. The town was also highly commended for Young Legends, which was presented to them by Georgia Taylor, the Queensland representative for The LITTLE Committee. The winners were announced at the national awards ceremony hosted by the 2012 national winner, Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland on Friday 17 May. The overall 2013 Tidy Towns title went to Victor Harbor, South Australia.

The Australian Tidy Towns Program recognises the hard work undertaken by rural and regional community groups, schools, businesses, individuals and councils, and showcases innovative ideas and initiatives that improve sustainability in our regional areas.

Among the partnership programs undertaken in Longreach, has been the commencement of the Aboriginal Stockman’s Heritage project being taken on by the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. It highlights the history of Aboriginal men and powerhouse truck women in the agricultural industries of Australia, and which will lead to a major permanent exhibition. This project will have ongoing involvement of Aboriginal people from across Australia and will focus on the major contribution they have made to the wealth of the nation.

“The Longreach community has an extremely strong history of preserving and exhibiting its own history and that of the nation. The community continues to identify a number of places of high cultural importance and historical significance to the people who live and visit this region in order to preserve their heritage,” National Tidy Towns judge Dick Olesinski said.

Peter McLean, National Chief Executive Officer for Keep Australia Beautiful said, “Council and community are committed to supporting youth in the town. Their youth program fosters links between young people, youth and community organisations while supporting cultural development in Longreach.”

The awards event included a tour of Caloundra showcasing some of the coastal town’s excellent projects which contributed to their win last year. A speed networking section after lunch allowed representatives the chance to share information and network with like minded professionals from around Australia.

2013 marks 45 years of the Tidy Towns awards in Australia, with Keep Australia Beautiful receiving 1180 initiatives nationally, from over 300 entrants across councils, shires, community groups, schools and individuals.

The Australian Tidy Towns Awards are sponsored by the Do the Right Thing Program of the Australian Food and Grocery Council’s Packaging Stewardship Forum.

–ENDS–

EDITOR’S NOTES:

Keep Australia Beautiful Australian Tidy Towns Awards winners 2013

Highly Commended Awards

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