SUSTAINABLE CITIES AWARDS 2019

Thank you to our awards supporters

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 1 Keep Beautiful NSW Level 1, 268 King St Newtown NSW 2042 www.kabnsw.org.au

© Keep Australia Beautiful NSW October 2019

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Disclaimer The information in this booklet has been provided by the Award nominees and referees chosen by them. Every effort has been made to present all the information contained in this booklet as accurately as possible.

2 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Table of Contents

About Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2

Awards Judges 2

Message from the CEO 3

Thank you to our Awards Sponsors 3

About the Sustainable Cities Awards 4

Awards Categories 5

Overall 2019 Award Winner and Finalist 7

Category Award Winners & Entries

Waste Less, Recycle More Waste Minimisation Award 9

Don’t be a Tosser! Litter Action Award 11

Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award 13

Heritage and Culture Award 18

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Award 19

Habitat and Wildlife Conservation Award 20

Coastal and Waterways Protection Award 21

Recycled Organics Award 22

Renewable Energy Award 24

Environmental Communication Award 25

School’s Environmental Achievement Award 27

Young Legend’s Environmental Award 29

Community Spirit and Inclusion Award 30

Circular Economy Award 32

Response to Climate Change Award 33

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 1 KAB NSW wishes to About sincerely thank the Keep Australia 2019 Sustainable Cities Beautiful NSW Awards Judging Panel

Layla McNeil Luciano Mesiti Syd Smith Andy Best

Keep Australia Beautiful NSW is the premier non- Lynda Newnam profit organisation leading behaviour change by engaging the community to continually improve Chris Tola our local environment. Matthew Taylor Over our 40-year history we have built a state- wide network of dedicated businesses, community Rob O’Brien groups, councils, schools and individuals assisting our causes. Ana Corpuz

We deliver many programs throughout the state to Brian Birkefeld promote sustainability and reduce litter: Tasneem Kanpurwala • Sustainable Communities - Tidy Towns Awards Caroline Weller • Sustainable Cities Awards • EnviroMentors® Nicole Palmer • Annual Litter Congress Heather Ranclaud To find out more visit www.kabnsw.org.au Peter Clark

2 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Message from the CEO

Welcome to the 2019 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KAB NSW) Sustainable Cities Awards. The Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards Program is an environmental and community program for local councils and their communities.

Projects that not only enhance the environment but improve the standard of living and well-being of urban communities have been a hallmark of the activities that have been recognised by awards through this program since 1994. The Sustainable Cities Awards inspires councils and their communities to make a genuine and lasting contribution to their area, with partnerships between local authorities, businesses, community groups, schools and individuals.

This booklet profiles the 2019 entries and acknowledges their exceptional efforts and commitment to keeping Australia beautiful.

On behalf of KAB NSW, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the judging panel for their commitment to the unenviable task of selecting the winners and congratulates all who are profiled here for their inspirational work.

Val Southam Chief Executive Officer Keep Australia Beautiful NSW

Thank you to our awards supporters

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 3 About the Sustainable Cities Awards

The Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards Program is a community and environmental awards program for metropolitan councils and their communities. Projects that not only enhance the environment but improve the standard of living and well-being of urban communities have been a hallmark of the activities that have been recognised by awards through this program since 1994. The Sustainable Cities Awards inspires councils and their communities to make a genuine and lasting contribution to their area, with partnerships between local authorities, businesses, community groups, schools and individuals.

The Sustainable Cities Awards Program incorporates two levels of awards, the individual category awards and the Overall Sustainable Council Award..

These two levels recognise both individual and/or holistic projects and programs. Participants have advised us of numerous social, environmental and economic benefits of entering the program:

• Increased community pride and morale and physical, mental & social well-being; • Social interaction & co-operation between council, community members, groups and partners; • Strengthening of current partnerships or initiation of new ones between councils, community members and local groups and businesses. Permanent recognition for winners, creating excitement and motivation and valuable feedback on all award submissions; • Networking opportunities between industry, state and local government, and environmental leaders and experts; • Recognition of good governance in local government; • Opportunities to showcase and celebrate the innovative work, expertise and vision of organisations or projects • Increased valuable media exposure for the local area and community projects; • Opportunity for knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas between different local government areas and their communities. .

4 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Awards Categories

Overall Award Don’t be a Tosser! Habitat and – NSW’s Most Litter Action Wildlife Sustainable City Sponsored by Conservation for 2019 NSW EPA The Habitat and The Overall Award is awarded The Don’t be a Tosser! Litter Wildlife Conservation Award to a metropolitan council that Action Award is for a project is for projects which create, has successfully undertaken or program that reduces or restore and sustain biodiversity projects or actions in at least prevents litter. This could of our native flora and fauna four areas of environmental involve behaviour change in urban environments, sustainability and social techniques, the creation of creating wildlife corridors inclusion. The areas covered partnerships or networks or and encouraging habitat are included in the following the development of effective conservation. award categories. infrastructure and place design.

Projects completed by outside Heritage and organisation’s within the Return and Earn Culture local government area will be Litter Prevention considered as part of the four The Heritage and Sponsored by areas. Culture Award Return and Earn is for community projects The Return and Earn Litter that enhance and protect our Waste Less, Prevention Award is for a unique, and built heritage, Recycle program or project that including celebration of a More Waste provides for and encourages region’s heritage. Minimisation the use of the Return and Earn Sponsored by Scheme in a local area through NSW EPA development and promotion Aboriginal of facilities, community Cultural Heritage The Waste Less, Recycle engagement or innovative use More Award is for a project or of the Scheme to benefit a The Aboriginal program that tackles a range of particular community or group. Cultural Heritage waste and recycling problems Award is for community through waste minimisation projects that enhance and and reduction; effective and protect Aboriginal Cultural innovative waste and recycling Heritage in a local area or programs or incentivising region, including: behaviour change.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 5 Young Legend’s Recycled Sustainable Environmental Organics Projects

The Young The Recycled The Sustainable Legend’s Organics Award is Projects Award Environmental Award for projects and programs that recognises innovations recognises individuals or minimise the loss of organics in, and the application of groups of people 25 years to landfill and supports the technology to achieve improved and under who demonstrate community to avoid, reduce environmental performance, outstanding commitment and recycle organics. within their spheres of influence. to their environment and

show leadership in pursuing environmental outcomes. Coastal and Renewable Waterways Energy Protection The Renewable School’s incorporating Clean Energy Award is Environmental Beaches for progress and achievements Achievement The Coastal and Waterways in developing products or The School’s Protection Award is for services associated with Environmental Achievement programs and actions that renewable energy. Award is for create, restore and enhance schools that can demonstrate our natural waterways and outstanding sustainability beaches, by advocating for Community Spirit achievement, sustainable coast and waterway protection, and Inclusion practices, reducing their encouraging community environmental impact and participation in the protection The Community leading the community by of waterways and beaches and Spirit and example. sustainable management of Inclusion Award recognises water resources. communities successfully addressing challenges through proper planning, community Environmental partnerships and real Communication Circular outcomes. This award is given Economy The Environmental to communities that refuse to Communication The Circular ‘give in’. Award is for programs Economy Award and projects that inspire is for operationally viable environmental action, through projects in the circular economy Response to raising awareness, developing which do, or could potentially, Climate and building partnerships to divert solid materials, fluids or Change share of resources and creation energy from waste streams and of spaces and places for return them to the productive The Response environmental education. economy. to Climate Change Award recognises actions taken by communities to tackle climate change through practical, long- term solutions and educating the public about the causes and effects of climate change and what individuals can do to take action.

6 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Overall Sustainable Cities Award Winner 2019 Cumberland Council

The Cumberland community is served by a newly Cumberland has an impressive connection with amalgamated Council from parts of Parramatta schools, youth, ethnic groups, refugee and senior’s and the former Holroyd and Auburn City Councils. community groups.

They have shown they are clear leaders with a There are sustainable and lasting partnerships very diverse range of programs and activities within Cumberland that allow greater synergies focused on the environment, community inclusion, and an increased flow on, from all they set out integration and connection. The community has to do. Beehives, community gardens, organics a vast range of opportunities and options to management and biodiversity volunteers to name contribute to the environment and community a few. wellbeing through these programs. Council is very active in this space.300 volunteers Programs such as Discover Cumberland in 2018 and growing, at 30,000 hours plus the and Refugee in my Neighbourhood, show an in-kind cost of $1, 056,298, makes the volunteer active commitment to the diverse Cumberland contribution in this Council area exceedingly community and a desire to integrate valuable. understanding, resilience and empathy into all Council does.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 7 2019 Overall Finalist

Bayside Council have shown consistency in programs and a range of other diverse community their approach to their community and has a focused programs. An example is their bushland comprehensive range of programs that are well regeneration which in 2018/19 Council undertook planned and developed, considered and executed. in 18 priority natural areas. In comparison to last financial year, registered BushCare volunteers It’s litter programs and community waste events increased from 86 to 138 and approximately 600 focus on accessibility and ease of use whilst in-kind to 1709 hours annually. maintaining viable, long term solutions. Bayside Council continues to think outside the box Bayside Council has strong partnerships with and develop creative and innovative solutions to their community to conduct clean ups, tree litter, waste and community issues. planting, rehabilitation and bush regeneration

8 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW RECYCLE MORE AWARD WASTE LESS Award Category Sponsored by:

Waste Less Recycle More Waste Minimisation

WINNER HIGHLY Thinning the Bins, Auburn Hospital COMMENDED Reducing Contamination, Increasing Recycling MUD’S Program- Cumberland Council

Thinning the Bins is an ongoing program managed and supported The ‘Reducing Contamination by a group of dedicated staff who go above and beyond their normal Increasing Recycling MUD’S duties to ensure Auburn Hospital recycles everything that it can. Program’ aims to target high occurrences of recycling Instead of believing ‘the problem is too big, the group have made, contamination in multi- unit ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ their mantra and have determined to dwellings. The need to make a difference. educate a largely transient and diverse community This project started from humble beginnings, its momentum was identified through the continuing to seek better outcomes for end of life hospital equipment, increasing occurrences of through MedEarth who take a large proportion of disused furniture illegal dumping high-level and hospital equipment, Featherdale Wildlife Park and Sydney Zoo recycling bin contamination. who take disused bandages and many other organisations. Over 10,000 households and The message is now spreading to other hospitals who are seeing the 941 properties were engaged business sense in re-use rather than disposal. in the program which resulted in a 43% improvement in recycling bin contamination. Auditing, community events and high-level partnerships with numerous housing providers and strata management agencies strengthen Cumberland Council’s success.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 9 Award Category Sponsored by: Entries: Waste Less Recycle More Waste Minimisation Award

Reduce Reuse Recycle Contamination Reduction Changes to Clean up to Oxley Park Public School Program Targeting Prevent Illegal Dumping Incorrect Sharps Disposal Oxley Park Public School have Bayside Council made every effort to Reduce The City of Ryde implemented their footprint, Reuse materials Bayside Council encourages a change from a scheduled wherever they can and Recycle. pharmacies in the local Bulky Household Clean Up A Litter Legends Grant of $500 government area to participate service to a pre booked has enable them to conduct in a program funded by service in order to combat high ongoing waste audits and Council and the NSW EPA, incidences of illegal dumping send 29kgs of plastic waste whereby residents can bring and to manage customer to be recycled. As an Eco in their medical sharps to complaints about dumping in School they have been able to pharmacies to be disposed of the area. The introduction of the demonstrate their commitment correctly. Council currently has service with a comprehensive to the environment in many 20 pharmacies participating education campaign, the ways. in this program across 14 of employment of a Clean-up Council’s 29 . In 17/18 Officer and an illegal dumping the contractor collected 99 x surveillance trailer used in Tool Library 47L sharps containers from dumping hotspots, has seen Inner West Tool Library, participating pharmacies and 8 a dramatic reduction in illegal Sydney x 23L sharps containers from dumping. Customer satisfaction participating pharmacies. has increased and resident The Inner West Tool Library is awareness about their waste a not for profit, 100% volunteer has also increased. run community organisation Feels Good to FOGO setup to allow residents to Penrith City Council access hundreds of tools and items you only use once or Penrith City Council recognised twice a year. The library brings the need to continue ‘value with it environmental, social for money’ services into the and economic benefits such as future for their residents and providing a second life for many with a new waste collection items that would otherwise end contract were able to increase up in landfill; being a space the roll out of FOGO services for people to come together, to rural areas, increasing the helping relieve social, upskilling collection of FOGO to at least the community and allowing 26,000 tonnes per annum. This locals affordable access to huge saving for residents is hundreds of items. in addition to a more effective bulky household clean up service where increased recycling options have been provided.

10 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW LITTER ACTION AWARD DON’T BE A TOSSER! Award Category Sponsored by:

Don’t be a Tosser! Litter Action

WINNER HIGHLY Unwrapping our Future: Keeping Bondi Beautiful, COMMENDED Hurstville Public School Litter Program,

Georges River Council’s Litter Program has successfully developed linkages between a local school and its local Unwrapping Waverley, a program aimed at a long-lasting reduction in community. The comprehensive single use plastics entering the Waverley community from the point education strategy centred of sale, revolved around a community group, Plastic Free Bondi. around a School Litter Audit, This program which used many engagement and communications School Art Competition, a strategies to encourage its outcomes with local businesses was Public Road Litter Audit (Forest strengthened by the fact that community was leading the way in every Road) and strong links with aspect of the program. Litter reduction alone was recorded as 84% Hurstville Public School. The reduction in litter by items; 88% reduction in takeaway packaging engagement of over 100 items and 98% reduction in takeaway packaging by volume. children has enabled them to make direct links between litter and their environment and to understand the importance of putting litter in the bin. Further replication of the program to other schools, strengthens these linkages in the local area. Cumberland Council’s success.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 11 Award Category Sponsored by: Entries: Don’t be a Tosser! Litter Action Award

Eastwood Litter Reducing cigarette butt Campaign litter in shopping strips City of Ryde Council Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils The Eastwood litter prevention campaign focused on reducing Tackling cigarette butt litter litter in and around Eastwood became a priority for Western Shopping precinct and the Sydney councils who combined Canal. An initial litter count was forces for maximum impact. conducted, a mural painted Using best practice, Western with the anti-littering message Sydney Regional Organisation “Litter You Know It’s Wrong”, of Councils (WSROC) working followed by litter guards being with eight participating councils installed along the canal (Blacktown, Cumberland, fence to prevent litter blowing Fairfield, Hawkesbury, The into the canal and waterway. Hills, Liverpool, Parramatta and Cigarette butt bins, water Penrith) developed a regional refill stations and a bin station approach to tackle cigarette but for commercial businesses litter in CBD hotspots. Using including upgrades to all street purpose-built cigarette butt litter bins has seen a reduction litter bins, NSW EPA ‘Don’t Be of 68% in the litter found in the a Tosser’ campaign materials, area post project. face to face street theatre and enforcement, a reduction of46%.was seen in regional Litter Prevention Program cigarette butt litter The program Bayside Council resulted in an increase by 88% of positive disposal behaviours Bayside Council identified across the region and 86% areas of major litter concern of the hotspots achieving and implemented sustainable improvement in smoker solutions to overcome these satisfaction within the area. issues, introducing an additional 12,280L of permanent and convenient community bin capacity. Funded partly by Waste Less Recycle More, priority areas identified beach litter, Mascot Train Station and Town Centre, Botany Town Centre and Rosebery Town Centre. Early results have shown a 200% decrease in beach litter and an increase of 30% bin use in streets, coinciding with a reduction in litter.

12 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW PREVENTION AWARD RETURN Award Category Sponsored by: AND Return and Earn EARN LITTER Litter Prevention

OVERALL CATEGORY WINNER WINNER - The Bottle Kids, Prestons INDIVIDUAL Cans for Kids, Alexander Roberts, Auburn

Influencer and leader, Alex Roberts, has been recycling cans since he was six years The Bottle Kids are four primary school aged siblings who offer a old and has always had the FREE collection service in their home of Prestons NSW. support of his community in Colette their mum, plus the four budding entrepreneurs saw an his recycling efforts. With the opportunity and went out to make it happen. ‘The Bottle Kids’ have introduction of Return and found businesses, such as cafes and bottle shops were looking for Earn, he added bottles and an easy way to recycle and were happy to partner with the kids as a other recyclable containers Bottle Buddy. Also collecting from family and parties, the Bottle Kids to the collection bins with the do more than just collecting bottles and containers. They actively mantra, ‘20 cans or bottles promote the Return and Earn program in their area and have donated will vaccinate a child for life’. some of their earnings to causes important to them, such as Liverpool Supported by the cleaners in Hospital Emergency Department. Auburn Hospital, when NSW Health decided to introduce bottled water to hospitals, the staff were horrified at the environmental damage this would cause, pressuring Healthshare to put barcodes on their bottles so they could be recycled through ‘Return and Earn’, with the recycling effort at Auburn Hospital now showing 99.9% of recyclable containers being recycled.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 13 Award Category Sponsored by: EARN LITTER

AND Return and Earn PREVENTION AWARD

RETURN Litter Prevention

WINNER - SCHOOLS WINNER - Waste Warriors, NOT FOR PROFIT Mosman Public Recycling for a Great School Cause, Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living, Camden

Through fundraising efforts, Mosman Public School has recently purchased specialty The MCSL is a community recycling bins to collect bottles hub providing educational and cans that can be taken workshops about the to their local Return and Earn environment and opportunities at Taronga Zoo. The schools for local Macarthur residents Sustainability Club, involving a to be involved in a range of group of Year 5 and 6 students activities on site. A newly and a Sustainability Committee developed program which made up of parents and assists unemployed youth the teachers run the initiative. This learn barista skills has used project will be ongoing and monies raised by Return and is embedded in the school’s Earn to provide tea, coffee, sustainability goals, including milk and other supplies for the supporting an environmental training. In addition to using the charity with monies raised, such Return and Earn collections for as Take 3 by the Sea. this purpose, the collection of containers has enthused the community who use the centre, bringing people from diverse groups to a central cause of recycling and litter prevention. A well organised and socially advantageous program.

14 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Award Category Sponsored by: Entries: Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award

Eco Crusaders Waste Return and Earn Return & Learn Management Sutherland North Public John Brotchie Nursery Caddie Creek Public School School School

Caddie Creek Public School Sutherland North Public School The John Brotchie Nursery have over the past two years started the Return and Earn School, Bottles for Brotchie introduced a range of waste initiative by asking students has raised over $430 in 2019, streams into their school waste to bring in empty containers. equating to 4,300 bottles and program. The Return and Earn To encourage participation, containers that have been program raises funds to be an incentive was offered, kept out of landfill. By having used to cover costs of further with the class with the most a collection centre on site sustainability initiatives and a containers after five weeks community members can drop portion is donated to a charity rewarded with 15 minutes extra off bottles on the weekend in Cambodia that rehabilitates play after lunch. This project as well as when they bring children addicted to drugs. helped raise awareness in their children to school. Local This project has introduced the school community about cafe and businesses have an income stream for school the importance of reducing also got on board the Bottles programs and has been litter and that students can for Brotchie, by using the very successful in creating contribute to this change. preschools bins to place their awareness around the need to used containers. manage all waste sustainably. Keep KRB green by making Vaucluse clean Return and Earn - From Eco Warriors Return & Kincoppal Rose Bay Junior Leumeah to Jamboree! Earn School 1st Leumeah Scout Group Oran Park Public School As part on an SRC initiative, The 1st Leumeah Scout Group Oran Park Public School the students of Kincoppal Rose were ‘early adopters’ of the commenced the Return and Bay (KRB) have been working NSW Return and Earn program, Earn Initiative in 2019. As a hard to help save marine life using the money raised to school of nearly 1500 students, and the planet by recycling boost their fundraising goals they identified an opportunity plastic bottles. By gaining 10c and aid members of the group to not only raise funds for the for every bottle collected, they to participate in local, state and school but an opportunity for donate these funds to some of National Scout programs and teachers to include recycling the poorest children in Chang activities. Youth members and and sustainability in the Rai, Thailand. The children have their families were encouraged students’ everyday lives. been scouring the beaches to collect eligible containers, Officially starting in Term Two, around the harbour foreshore, which were processed through they exceeded their initial target combing over local parks and a local bulk Return and Earn of 500 bottles by collecting streets and encouraging their centre at Nepean Distributors. over three times that amount! wider family and friends to Their first goal subsidised Their first collection totalled get involved. They also send the costs of seven Scout $183.00. The flow on has the bottle caps to Envision members to attend the 25th resulted in a significant growth who turn them into recycled Australian Scout Jamboree in in participation numbers at the plastic hands (prosthesis) and Tailem Bend, South Australia in school’s lunchtime ‘Eco/Enviro donates them to under serviced January 2019. Club’. countries.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 15 Award Category Sponsored by: Entries: Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award

Scouts Learning from Holsworthy Community Marine Rescue Terrey Returning and Earning Garden Hills Unit Return and Earn Hume Region Scouts SCRAP Ltd Marine Rescue Terrey Hills Unit Scouts and Leaders from SCRAP Ltd has partnered Hume Region Scouts organised with Holsworthy High School Marine Rescue – Terrey and participated in Return and for several years to work with Hills (MRTH) Return & Earn Earn fundraisers at two major disengaged youth in their Table Project commenced with their Camden events, the Camden to Table: Organic Living Course acceptance as a Donation TASTE Food, Wine and Music at the school’s community Partner on selected Tomra Festival in September 2018 garden. At the outset SCRAP operated RVMs. As a volunteer- and the annual Camden Show partnered with the school in based Emergency Services in April 2019. With assistance approaching Tomra to establish operation, MRTH performs from Nepean Distributors a Return and Earn machine fund raising initiatives to fund and Camden Council both within the garden to emphasise necessary infrastructure in collections saw great results the need for resource recovery communication equipment to with a total of 3208 containers and recycling. This machine keep the boating community at the Camden TASTE Food, was established - the first (and safe on the water and wanted Wine and Music Festival and still the only) school to achieve to promote the preservation 6190 containers collected at this outcome. The school of the waterways. Promoting the Camden Show. has increased its recycling of awareness of Return & Earn to bottles and cans and deposits their volunteers and community 0.25m3 weekly with funds they aimed to develop Recycle Michael supporting a variety of school conscious behavioural change Bringelly Public School initiatives including the garden. that becomes habitual through Many students and locals use collection of eligible containers The Bringelly Public School the Return and Earn machine for recycling. Once launched project was the introduction for pocket money and the the containers collected of recycling cans and bottles decrease in litter is noticeable in increased every month, with a in a unique way to encourage the area. total of 8292 since inception. students, teachers and eventually the wider community to return their cans and bottles to the school via “Recycle Michael!”. “Recycle Michael!” was a bin created in the image of a robot with a slot for putting in your cans. The children loved the idea of feeding Recycle Michael with cans and this increased the daily recycling up to 90%.

16 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Award Category Sponsored by: Entries: Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award

And the Recycling Protecting Nature for our Charopy Continues Future Eastwood Public School Jasper Road Public School Oatlands Public School Eastwood Public School P&C A whole of school program Oatlands Public School’s recently implemented the that has been funded by “Return and Earn” program Charopy recycling program Woolworths and Junior has been running since August to their school in Term 2 of Landcare Grants, Jasper Road 2018, in partnership with 2019. Charopy is a smart Public School has managed Oatlands “Kids Parliament: phone payment application to set up a successful system which includes students from (App.), similar to Qkr developed for Return and Earn within their Student Representative by Mastercard for Australian the school, encouraging the Council and Environment Club. schools, where each child is children and parents to make Since May 2019 students able to bring up to 5 recyclable best use of the service. Student and families had collected containers to school in the Arbors led the program by 6653 bottles. Running morning and recess to earn educating other students and awareness campaigns for 10 cents per eligible bottle. by assisting with the day to day families, including collection During this process, each child operation of the system. Apart bags throughout the school learns what type of bottles can from the fundraising which playground, collecting bottles be recycled including how to assists with environmental at all events, families and other read and locate the 10 cents education, litter awareness is members of the community eligibility. The school has run now a whole school issue with can return their recyclable a class challenge where the all students being educated containers to the school every class that recycles the most is as to how and why to recycle fortnight for collection and awarded a class lunch. With rather than litter or waste return them to the “Return and an increase in the collection of resources. Earn” program. containers they are also seeing less containers on the school grounds as a result of this program.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 17

HERITAGE AND HERITAGE AWARDCULTURE Heritage and Culture

WINNER HIGHLY Peace Comes to Liverpool, Moorebank Heritage COMMENDED Group, Liverpool City Council Refresh Concord West, Council

The focus area of Refresh Concord West is Concord Road, Concord West. Created in the 1920’s from a Peace Comes to Liverpool in the centenary year of the signing of the subdivision of the Yaralla Park 1918 Armistice commemorates those soldiers who passed through Estate the project captures the camp gates at Holsworthy to be remembered with our honour, mainly inter-war streetscapes utmost respect and pride for the sacrifices they made. This major and is currently a heritage exhibition partnered with Moorebank Heritage Group, funded by conservation area. The Yaralla the LCC Matching Grant Program and Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Estate was originally the home was part of Liverpool Remembers. The program included 7 Public of Dame Edith Walker and her Programs which included interstate guest speakers, 2 book launches, father Thomas. Components a Heritage Bus Tour which included a visit to Holsworthy Army Base - of the refurbishment included, the site of the former WW1 internment camp – and included children’s a painted wall of colourful fairy workshops. wrens perched and ready for flight through the roses and lavender of the Yaralla Estate; old bins replaced and wrapped with artwork; local businesses provided window decals and welcome mats; banner poles were recycled from another area using artwork to articulate the history of the area and new benches were provided for peoples comfort.

18 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW HERITAGE AWARD ABORIGINAL CULTURAL

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage

WINNER Pride of Place, Liverpool City Council

Pride of Place is a permanent exhibition and interpretation display at the Carnes Hill Library which conserves and promotes the local Aboriginal cultural heritage and its associated stories and traditions. The purpose of the project was to ensure that the exhibition was designed and developed by the community, and the story that was told was theirs and not drawn from a textbook or scientific document, the final result being a cumulative result of consultation between the aboriginal community, Council and Heritage experts.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 19 Habitat and Wildlife HABITAT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION AWARDCONSERVATION Conservation

WINNER Keepin-a-hive Native Beehive Community Program, Cumberland Council

The ‘Keepin-A-Hive’ program promotes biodiversity throughout Cumberland by encouraging residents to host a native beehive in their backyard and plant native flowering plants for bees to forage on. The initiative relies upon the expertise of beekeepers at Sydney Stingless Bees, the craftsmanship of participants at Auburn Men’s Shed, the support of a network of residents, local community gardens and Council. It has strengthened relationships across the community while establishing a network of hives across the Local Government Area.

20 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW PROTECTION AWARD COASTAL & WATERWAYS

Coastal and Waterways Protection

WINNER Bayside Beach Litter Prevention Program, Bayside Council

After an initial injection of new bin infrastructure at Lady Robinson Beach, Bayside Council saw the need to improve future access and use of bins within the beach areas. Fifty custom made bins were designed and manufactured with a partnering steel maker which provide increased convenience to residents and visitors, encourage beach users’ sense of responsibility for disposal of their own waste, and to reduce beach littering. Don’t be a Tosser! signage was used to encourage behaviour change around littering and since the implementation of the beach bins approximately 3,815kg of waste was responsibly disposed of by beach goers in these 50 bins alone. A great result in a short timeframe.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 21

AWARD

RECYCLED ORGANICS RECYCLED Recycled Organics

WINNER HIGHLY Community Composting and Worm Farming, COMMENDED Bayside Council Greenwaste Recycling Project, Chifley College, Bidwill Campus

Chifley College at Bidwill is set on 2 hectares and boasts large areas of productive Bayside’s Composting and Worm Farming education has taken on land and natural bushland. a new level of commitment. In addition to its ongoing education Years of production and use programs, Council has installed dog poo worm farms in ten (10) off- by cattle had degraded the leash dog parks for the community to responsibly discard dog poo in land, and through consistent the Bayside local government area. These bins are designed for use efforts to turn green waste by dog owners in conjunction with compostable biodegradable bags, back into soil they have which will also be made available to Bayside residents and visitors created around 12 cubic in dog parks free to charge. A leader in an innovative use of public meters of finished compost space recycling, Council is fostering critical thinking around waste from their compost bin each avoidance and recycling. year which is used directly in the vegetable production and, in addition, have created an additional depth of 200 mm of high-quality soil to the farm paddocks. Managed by volunteers, work experience students and an agriculture teacher, the benefits to the community and the school make this a quintessential sustainable project.

22 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW AWARD RECYCLED ORGANICS

HIGHLY ENTRY COMMENDED Greening Cumberland - Composters of the One Bin at a Time! Cumberland Council Inner West, The Greening Cumberland - One Bin at a Time, project was to coordinate and deliver a new garden organics waste service and an opportunity for residents to reduce waste sent to landfill. The service was an extension of existing services in the former Auburn and Parramatta council areas pre- amalgamation. It The Composters of the Inner was extended to an additional West campaign was developed 23,000 residents. The project to promote home composting has resulted in a redirection of as an effective and important 6.8% of organics from landfill, in strategy in achieving zero the first 12 months. waste. The social media campaign was promoted prior and during International Compost Awareness Week to increase reach and culminated in a hands-on composting and worm farming workshop on Saturday 11 May 2019. The social media campaign profiled four Inner West households home composting methods as means of normalising composting behaviours and addressing common barriers to composting. Households who took part reported a reduction of household waste to one bag a week.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 23 AWARD

RENEWABLE ENERGY RENEWABLE Renewable Energy

WINNER HIGHLY Solar My School, Waverley, Randwick and COMMENDED Woollahra Councils Transitioning to zero emissions and 100% renewable, Randwick Council

In March 2018, Randwick Council adopted a new aspirational target and called Solar my School is a free Council-run project founded by Randwick, for a roadmap to go beyond Woollahra and Waverley Councils, helping primary and secondary its previous 20% reduction schools ‘go solar’ and access the financial, environmental and targets for energy and water educational benefits of clean, locally produced renewable energy. and establish pathways to be The program is designed to overcome three key barriers for schools zero greenhouse emissions to install solar power - trust, time and knowledge – by making the by 2030. This roadmap process simple with independent and expert support from start to incorporated requirements finish. So far, systems have been installed on 17 schools (845 kW to achieve 100% renewables solar), with a further 26 systems (1219 kW) in coming months. The by 2030, a transition to zero program is responsible for the largest solar power systems in the greenhouse emissions from , outside of the UNSW. This total achieved in 2.5 Council’s vehicle fleet, a 50% years represents 13% of all solar ever installed in the region. replacement of all potable water used from non-potable water sources and a 50% increase in urban canopy from a 2018 baseline. To date, Council has concentrated on initiatives to commence implementation of this roadmap to zero carbon emissions and 100% renewable.

24 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD Environmental Communication

WINNER HIGHLY Love Your Place, City of Canada Bay Council COMMENDED Eco Living Expo, promoting innovative green living in a fun, family-friendly way. Randwick City Council

‘Love Your Place’ is a community clean-up program aiming to reduce Randwick City’s Eco Living litter in public spaces through responsible citizenship and creating Expo showcases new ideas on a sense of increased community pride and ownership. This initiative sustainable living and learnings promoted community litter clean-ups through an organised volunteer on how simple lifestyle changes program where residents nominate a park or street and volunteers can lead to a safer climate working together to remove litter, report illegal dumping, graffiti, and how we can all be part damaged facilities and anti-social behaviour at the nominated site. of that change. The focus for The program is designed to be an ongoing cooperative activity that 2018 was a technology and encourages the local community and businesses to take pride and lifestyle event that brought to care of their local spaces, providing an opportunity for socialising and the forefront the urgency of cross-cultural learning between clean-up participants and increase a climate change and highlighted sense of community belonging. solutions and positive actions the community can take. It was dedicated to delivering in-depth, practical solutions, innovations and emerging technologies to save on energy and water, support active transport, reduce and recover waste material, and consider sustainability furnishings and solutions around the home and garden.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 25 Entries: Environmental Communication Award

Lane Cove’s Guiding Stars Plastic Free July The Willoughby Wildlife Council Campaign Storybook Project Willoughby City Council knew that e-waste was an important Blacktown Council recognised The Wildlife Storybook Project local issue through e-waste the importance of reducing is part of Willoughby City collection data and the fact single use plastics as they are Council’s wider Bushland that the Community Recycling at the top of the Parramatta Interpretive Program and helps Centre in Artarmon (sponsored River catchment. In the last 12 to facilitate ‘kids to teach kids’ by NSROC councils) had months, their gross pollutant about amazing local wildlife collected 46.81 tonnes of traps captured around 1,100 in the Willoughby area. Year e-waste since May 2017. tonnes of litter from stormwater. 5 students at each primary Lane Cove’s Guiding Stars The Plastic Free July Blacktown school take part in the program, offers a unique opportunity campaign aimed to reduce write a story and create to creatively communicate single use plastics in Blacktown pictures that support what they the issue of e-waste to the City. The campaign included an have learnt. An initial talk series community, with the installation information leaflet, community allows Council staff to discuss of six large scale stars, created competition, plastic free craft local environmental issues mostly from e-waste displayed at Kids Early Learning centres, with the students, especially in the Lane Cove Village in workshops for adults and highlighting the importance of December 2018-January children, digital engagement, biodiversity, habitat creation 2019. Lane Cove’s Guiding screenings of the documentary and preservation. Students Stars demonstrates leadership ‘Blue’ and staff engagement get a sense of where they live and innovation as it is the through an information stall and in each catchment area and only Local Government-led pledge boards in several staff how wildlife corridors can be Public Art project in Australia buildings. improved around their school communicating a message and homes. about e-waste in this way.

26 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL’S ENVIRONMENTAL

School’s Environmental AWARD Achievement

WINNER HIGHLY Growing Together for our Future, Oatlands Public COMMENDED School, Oatlands North Environmental Education, Jasper Road Public School, Baulkham Hills

Jasper Road Public School supports over 850 students from both mainstream and a Oatlands Public School has a strong track record in sustainable support unit for students with practice and promoting environmental stewardship in their young disabilities. Featuring many people. The partnership between the school and P&C is strong and native and floral gardens, works to bring sustainable practices into daily school life. Embedded astro-turf, a worm farm school activities include the Environment Club, Nature Play, Habitat area, vegetable patches, Stepping Stones, a garden called the Aboriginal Seasons Food compost bins, water tanks, Walk and the collection of containers for Return and Earn. The newly laid turf, a solar power environmental initiatives at Oatlands flow on from the shared vision system and, K-6 vegetable held by the school and the P&C to “grow together for our future” and garden beds, Jasper Road is strengthened by many partnerships within the local and broader is a greener place to be. All community. classes take environmental education seriously and teach it through all Key Learning Areas in all 42 classrooms, library and technology. Not only do students learn about sustainability but parent and community members also learn through their fortnightly newsletter and their community events.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 27 Entries: School’s Environmental Achievement Award

Outback Book Drive Recycling Bins Eco Crusaders Yarrawarrah Public School Bellevue Hill Public School Caddies Creek Public School Yarrawarrah Public School A need for change at Bellevue launched an Outback Book Hill Public School was seen Caddies Creek Public School Drive in 2018 requesting with rubbish bins overflowing, has separated their waste to donations of preloved children’s birds feasting on leftover include commingled recycling, books which would be sent food scraps, and a sense of worm farms, soft plastic to families living on remote ownership and responsibility recycling and Return and Earn. stations in the Broken Hill severely lacking. In 2018 The embedded sustainability (2018) and Lightning Ridge the school bought bins for focus in the curriculum through (2019) areas. All classes were recycling, landfill and paper project-based learning and shown videos on remote station rubbish for all 24 classrooms. leadership opportunities life including School of the Air With the introduction of the through their sustainability education with the focal point bins, came presentations club has refined their practices being the absence of access and interactive sessions on and gives a framework that to books through libraries what belongs in which bin. includes waste, environmentally or book shops. Comparing The Green Team came into friendly gardens, creation of this lack of access with their fruition and the introduction of wildlife corridors and ecological own excess consolidated new initiatives started, such biodiversity of plants and the project as being the way as Waste-Free Wednesday. environmental education. to re-use preloved children’s Overall the awareness raised books to support others. The within the school community total collected in two years is has improved by making one 520kg’s of books. change at a time.

28 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW ENVIRONMENT AWARD YOUNG LEGENDS

Young Legend’s Environment

WINNER HIGHLY Alexander Roberts, Auburn COMMENDED Ariana Goana

In 2015 Ariana’s Ark was born to raise awareness on sharks and the troubles they face, highlighting many environmental issues along the way. Ariana’s Alex has always been a quiet humble achiever with a steely Ark was created by a local determination to make a difference to the planet. He started a frog Blacktown girl Ariana and is sanctuary in his front yard at the age of eight. He started his can all about educating people recycling at the age of six and formalized it into a community project about wildlife, especially ‘Cans for Kids’ by 2006, when he was just 11 years old. His projects marine animals and sharks at Auburn Hospital, ‘Think before you Bin It’ and ‘Thinning the Bins’ and the importance of healthy have both made a wonderful impact and difference to the hospital, oceans. It also educates the staff and the environment. Alex’s thinks his greatest achievement people about plastic pollution to date is inspiring others to be environmentally aware and not to and how harmful plastics can believe that the problem is too great and nothing they do will make a be not only to our oceans but difference. One of his teachers said once said, ‘Alex would rather light also to our planet in general. a candle than complain about the dark.’ Ariana’s messaging is done mainly through the ‘Ariana’s Ark’ facebook page where people from all over the globe have been able to support her efforts to spread the word about marine life pressures and plastics pollution.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 29

Community Spirit COMMUNITY SPIRIT

AND INCLUSION AWARD and Inclusion

WINNER HIGHLY Refugee Camp in my Neighbourhood, COMMENDED Cumberland Council 5 Senses Garden - Rhodes Park, City of Canada Bay Council

This project has community and inclusion at its heart: The ageing traditional playground in Rhodes Park was transformed Refugee Camp in My Neighbourhood is a collaborative Cumberland into the 5 Senses Garden community project that began to help people learn about refugee via an inspiring partnership experiences by taking them along an interactive, simulated refugee between City of Canada Bay journey under the care and guidance of Tour Guides who have and Inner West Neighbour themselves all come from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Aid (IWNA). The project Using a community development and human rights approach the demonstrates an innovative project has directly involved people from current and former refugee reworking of the space into a communities along with more than 30 project partner organisations to visually appealing and inclusive inform every stage of its design and implementation. After the most park whose functions serve a recent set of tours in 2018 visitors described a desire to take various wide range of the community, actions such as, volunteer in the community; educate others; learn including: Nature play areas, more about refugee camps and refugee experiences and advocate for an accessible food-growing the rights of refugees. area, an undercover workshop area incorporating an outdoor kitchen, bush tucker and sensory plantings all linked together by beautiful indigenous art path.

30 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW AND INCLUSION AWARD COMMUNITY SPIRIT

HIGHLY ENTRY COMMENDED Discover Cumberland Community Building Program Cumberland Council Through Sharing, Inner West Tool The Discover Cumberland Library Program which integrates digital media, a 30-page new residents’ booklet, the development of new workshop modules, the recruitment and training of bilingual community educators and the creation of a bus tour itinerary to create a dynamic and interactive ‘welcome pack’ for new The Inner West Tool Library residents. The results have launched in January 2019, is a been transformative, with 80 not for profit, 100% volunteer per cent of participants claiming run community organisation a ‘high level of understanding’ set up to allow residents to of Council services, up from access hundreds of tools and 30 per cent at the start of the useful things you only use once program. or twice a year. The ethos of the IWTL is bringing together the idea of sharing to reduce waste, save people money and space, and to help build a more connected and resilient community. The IWTL is an inclusive space, allowing all people in the community to participate and feel valued. Encouraging anyone to use the space, the library allows residents who may be disadvantaged to gain access to much needed tools to fix or renovate. Whatever is needed.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 31

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AWARD Circular Economy

WINNER HIGHLY Community Recycling Drop Off Events, COMMENDED Bayside Council Clean Oceans Clean Communities, Surfrider Foundation Manly

The establishment of a Plastic Waste Recovery Hub on the will be the Bayside Council has implemented a successful community recycling first of its kind for Sydney and drop off events program. The program allows Bayside residents the state of NSW. Its purpose to recycle some common problem wastes without the significantly is to establish an educational higher cost associated with a permanent Community Recycling facility about plastics in the Centre. During Feb-Apr 2019, it is estimated that Council received circular economy, develop approximately 44 tonnes at the drop off events, with approximately solutions & stimulate innovation 39 tonnes of this being recovered, equating to 90%. Additionally, for recycling plastic pollution the drop off area at the Bexley Depot has been resurfaced with retrieved from the ocean and Reconophalt, a new asphalt product that incorporates recycled general plastic waste destined materials like soft plastics, glass, toner from used cartridges for landfill for conversion into and reclaimed asphalt. This allows Bayside Council to increase reusable resources. . serviceability to residents, whilst showcasing innovative recycling solutions.

32 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW CHANGE AWARD RESPONSE TO CLIMATE

Response to Climate Change

WINNER Harvest Collective,

The Harvest Collective North Sydney project is a community sustainable food project that provides North Sydney residents with the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge required to set up their own food gardens and increase their understanding of sustainable food. Through a combination of facilitated hands-on learning and capacity building, the program increases participants knowledge and understanding of the food growing process, leading to greater capacity to grow and eat their own organic vegetables. A comprehensive program of knowledge, the Harvest Collective encourages eating fresh, organic food, choosing to grow and eat seasonal vegies and the impact all our choices have on climate change.

2019 Sustainable Cities Awards 33 Level 1, 268 King Street Thank you to our awards supporters Newtown, NSW 2042 T 02 8594 4000 [email protected] www.kabnsw.org.au

34 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW