Zoe Moffatt
The environmental team at St Anne’s School in Sunbury and the Romsey Storm and Flood Recovery facility have been shortlisted for the 2023 Tidy Towns and Cities Sustainability Awards.
Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria announced the 70 shortlisted projects on July 26, which recognises, celebrates and shares environmental achievements and strong community spirit across the state.
St Anne’s School environmental team was shortlisted in the environment category for projects that protect, restore and prevent damage to the natural environment.
Sustainability leader Joanne Hannan said the team and whole school are very excited to be shortlisted for the awards.
“As a school community, we value our immediate environment as well as that surrounding our school and endeavour to have a positive impact on it,” Ms Hannan said.
“The Pollinator’s Corridor Project was initiated to complement the open space in the adjacent park and to increase the levels of biodiversity within the area.
“[The team] is made up of year six students who… [have] passion and commitment to creating a more sustainable school environment and raising the awareness of others.”
The Romsey Storm and Flood Recovery facility was shortlisted for the EPA Waste Prevention and Reduction category for projects that focus on minimising what goes into landfills.
Macedon Ranges council chief executive Bernie O’Sullivan said council is thrilled to be shortlisted and thanked Emergency Recovery Victoria for its support.
“This project was born out of the need to respond quickly to the wide-spread destruction caused by the June 2021 storms,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“Council recognises that the Macedon Ranges community strongly values environmental stewardship, recycling and ‘green’ solutions.
“Our focus was to reduce green waste to zero by creating repurposed products for impacted councils and communities.
“This flagship facility has created a new standard for operational recovery, and is a model that can be applied… across Victoria for any future disasters.”
These shortlisted projects were chosen by a panel of 10 expert independent judges from 132 entries. They were reviewed against their category, considering environmental impact, innovation, and community involvement.
Finalists in each category will be revealed on September 13, and the winners will be announced on October 23.
