Tidy Towns
Tidy Towns: From Clean Streets to Sustainable Communities
If the story of Keep Australia Beautiful began with civic pride, the story of Tidy Towns is about community empowerment, everyday people coming together to protect, enhance, and reimagine the places they call home. As an extension of KAB’s mission, Tidy Towns turns civic pride into meaningful community-led action for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Australia. From simple acts of local pride to initiatives with national impact, it shows how Australians have become environmental leaders in their own backyards.
Where it all started.
The Tidy Towns story began in Western Australia in 1968 inspired by a similar initiative in Ireland. Its initial purpose, as promoted by the WA Tourist Development Authority, was to encourage tidy, presentable towns. The original judging criteria reflected this focus, awarding points for criteria such as:
- absence of litter and unsightly objects
- effort involved and general cleanliness of the town
- appearance of plants, fences and public and private blocks.
The response was immediate and impressive. 59 towns entered in the inaugural year, with Bunbury named the first state winner. In at least one town, public notices were circulated encouraging residents to remove rubbish and assist with preparations, a small but significant indicator of community ownership.
This early enthusiasm proved to be more than a local beautification effort. It revealed a strong appetite for collective action and laid the foundation for what would become a national sustainability movement.
From Beautification to Sustainability
By 1990, Tidy Towns had expanded across Australia. It eventually evolved into the Tidy Towns – Sustainability Awards, marking a natural progression from local beautification and tidiness into deeper environmental outcomes.
In New South Wales and Victoria, the model was further expanded through the introduction of Sustainable Cities, inspiring metropolitan communities to deliver genuine and lasting local environmental contributions.
From regional centres to urban councils, the Tidy Towns programs became drivers of practical, local solutions and a shared commitment to long-term sustainability.
A program built on people
At the heart of Tidy Towns are the people who contribute their time, expertise and passion. Many finalists in the program are volunteers who demonstrate consistent leadership and innovation.
Their work demonstrates what is possible when communities are supported and empowered. These contributors often become catalysts for new partnerships, environmental initiatives and new local strategies that continue long after the awards are announced.
How the National Awards Operate
Each year, state and territory Keep Australia Beautiful programs identify their winners between August and November. These winners then progress to the national stage, where the Australian Sustainable Communities Tidy Towns judge visits each community to assess their initiatives firsthand.
The national awards are presented between March and May, typically as part of a two-day event that includes:
- finalist presentations
- professional insights and recommendations from the national judge
- networking opportunities with sustainability leaders from across Australia
- a hosted tour of the previous year’s winning community, when applicable
This event is both a celebration and an important forum for knowledge sharing, capacity building and strengthening national networks.
Why Tidy Towns Remains Relevant
Over the decades, Tidy Towns has adapted to Australia’s changing environmental priorities. The program now recognises excellence across a wide range of categories, including:
- Litter Prevention
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Plastic Free Communities
- Behaviour Change & Engagement
- Circular Economy & Waste Reduction
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaption
- Water Conservation & Protection
- Community Action & Well Being
- Livable Communities
- Heritage & Culture
- Dame Phyllis Frost Local Hero
- Young Legends
Despite these expansions, the core principle behind the competition has remained unchanged: communities drive meaningful, lasting environmental outcomes when trusted and supported to lead.
Tidy Towns has nurtured thousands of local sustainability leaders, many of whom have gone on to influence local government policy, school programs, business practices and broader community behaviour. It remains one of Australia’s most enduring examples of grassroots environmental leadership – decentralising environmental action and empowering communities to lead rather than waiting on government or industry. In doing so, they often develop solutions that outpace and inspire policy. It’s a reminder that caring for our environment is a shared responsibility, and the most meaningful change happens when all layers of society act together.
Looking Ahead
In Part 3, we explore Do the Right Thing, the campaign that didn’t just raise awareness but reshaped everyday behaviour and set a new benchmark for environmental culture across Australia.
WRITTEN BY: Rosie Starr (KAB Content Creator – Volunteer)
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