MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 16th April 2009
Tidy Towns Change to Sustainable Communities (Towns)
The iconic KESAB Tidy Towns program has embraced a name change reflecting three decades of extensive community environmental focus on sustainability and action throughout regional South Australia.
KESAB Sustainable Communities (Towns) 2009 program will assess community environmental action across a broad range of issues including waste, water, education and innovation, biodiversity, conservation and energy.
Community engagement and action remain most important combined with education demonstrating how we can all better look after our natural environment and resources in a more sustainable manner.
“In 2008 nearly 700 individual community entries were received in the transitional year from Tidy Towns to the revised format. The scope of community action and voluntary capacity in South Australian regional areas is
huge and is making a significant difference to how communities are changing and surviving in tough environmental conditions”, Director of KESAB Sustainable Communities (Towns) program Luke Callaghan said.
“Assessment weighting demonstrates the importance of a diverse range of environmental issues facing country communities on a day to day basis and more often than not showcase best case examples of how communities can
work together in response to improved sustainability”, he said.
Action supporting sustainable communities in the 2008 KESAB awards highlighted rainwater harvesting (4 million litres) through a joint Arno Bay Progress Association and Australian Barley Board Grain Bunkers and Loxton Waikerie Council reducing water use by 30% through water sensitive urban design principles.
Other best case examples include Norton Summit Primary School demonstrating excellence in litter prevention initiative and Lucindale Area
School recycling program which commenced in 1991 showing the importance of sustainability.
KESAB encourages communities to enter submissions addressing all assessment criteria. Entry details and support information will be announced late April
along with program timelines and judging process.
For information: Luke Callaghan
KESAB Sustainable Communities (Towns)
P: 08-8234-7255