Hastings, Victoria

Hasting, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, is located within a world-renowned UNESCO Biosphere reserve and adjacent to a Marine National Park.

The community works tirelessly to maintain its unique area as a pristine ecological and sustainable hub, at the same time honouring and respecting its Indigenous past and rising to the challenge of providing aid to those facing a natural disaster.

Hastings entered two unique programs in this category: The ‘I Sea I Care Marine Ambassador Program’ and the ‘A Team’. Both programs empower young people to become environmental leaders in litter reduction and management, as well as promote behavioural change in the broader community.

Waste management infrastructure projects at the Albury Waste Management Centre are not only at the forefront of development in the resource recovery sector, but also function as a prime example of community engagement and education, as well as positive social enterprise, through the AWARE UpCycle Shop – which provides meaningful employment to local people with disabilities – and the newly established SMART Education Centre.

From its humble beginnings of several tin buildings, Wallace Rockhole has grown into a community standing strong and proud in its Indigenous heritage. Visitors to Wallace Rockhole have the privileged of learning about and experiencing Indigenous culture including bush tucker and bush medicine.

In his four years at Westernport Secondary College, Harrison has consistently supported the school and local community. He is a truly exceptional young man who supports numerous wider school and community events and initiatives.

AlburyCity is leading the way in energy conservation and management across its own facilities and in the business and household communities. Solar has been installed across 14 Council managed facilities with systems sized to match consumption patterns.

In 2020, Rockhampton Regional Council reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef by signing up to the Reef Guardian Council program for a further four years. Council has implemented recent upgrades that have delivered a significant reduction in nitrogen released to the Fitzroy River estuary and are working to establish recycled water schemes and improved biosolids management at the North and South Rockhampton Sewage Treatment Plants.

Mount Archer (Nurim) is one of the region’s most iconic locations. Following Cyclone Marcia in 2015, an ambitious plan to protect and enhance Nerim and to activate it as a significant natural and cultural asset began. Today, Council continues to protect, maintain and enhance Nerim as an important natural and cultural asset by preserving the area’s language, significant stories and artwork, as well as creating environmentally and ability friendly bushwalking opportunities.

At the heart of Wallace Rockhole are the First Nations people and a community that is wholly run and maintained by the Arrernte people. Close affinity with Country is maintained through sharing of stories and Traditional knowledge starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood.

Situated two-and-a-half hours south-east of Perth, Narrogin – with a population of approximately 4,500 – has developed a major focus on sporting facilities, park areas for children and families. Some of the sports grounds and play areas are ‘sensory friendly’ and include numerous newly constructed amenity blocks.