Launceston and Parkes secure Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards

Launceston and Parkes secure Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards Launceston, located the north of Tasmania, has been named the national winner of the 2025 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Awards while Parkes, located in the Central West region of New South Wales, secured wins and commendations recognising the community's commitment to sustainability, culture and local leadership.

The awards, celebrating innovation, sustainability, and community pride in regional towns, were presented on 3rd May in Beechworth Victoria, with Launceston and Parkes among other state finalists including Ikuntji (NT), Kingston SE (SA), Port and South Headland (WA), and Rye (VIC) vying for the 2025 title.

The awards were presented in Beechworth Victoria, with a total of six communities from across Australia vying for the 2025 title.

Launceston's win follows its victory at the Tasmanian Keep Australia Beautiful Awards last November.

City of Launceston Deputy Mayor Hugh McKenzie and Sustainability Team Leader Michael Attard attended the awards presentation to collect the trophy on behalf of the city.

City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said scoring the 2025 national award was a huge honour for Launceston and enthused "I'm incredibly excited to see Launceston being recognised as the national winner of the 2025 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Town Awards.

"The City of Launceston has been working hard in the environmental sustainability space for many years and this prestigious national award recognises the many council and community collaborations that have been occurring across Northern Tasmania aimed at protecting and celebrating our natural values.

"The awards recognised innovative projects like Spring Clean Rocherlea, the Launceston Repair Cafe, our circular economy initiatives and a number of community events.

"Each of these projects are partnerships between our council and our community, and that is what has driven their success.”

Along with taking out the 2025 national award, it will now fall to Launceston to host the 2026 Keep Australia Beautiful Awards, and to welcome hundreds of delegates from across Australia to Northern Tasmania next year.

Parkes Shire also secured national honours from the 2025 Australian Tidy Towns Sustainability Awards.

Representing Parkes at the national awards held over the weekend in Beechworth, Victoria, were Deputy Mayor Marg Applebee, Councillor Bill Jayet as well as Parkes Shire Council's Manager Environment and Sustainability Michael Chambers, and Environmental and Biosecurity Specialist Hannah Farrant-Jayet - both of whom played a key role in preparing the award submissions.

Parkes received national recognition in the categories below:

• Winner - Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Raw Water Storage Lagoon

• Highly Commended - Heritage and Culture: Wiradjuri Language Group

• Special Acknowledgement - Dame Phyllis Frost Local Hero Award: Deb Jones

Deputy Mayor Applebee said the accolades reflect the collective efforts of the Parkes Shire community noting "receiving these awards reflects the hard work of our entire community, from Council staff to volunteers, local businesses, and community groups. We are so proud to see projects like the Raw Water Storage Lagoon recognised on the national stage."

The Raw Water Storage Lagoon, which took out the top honour in the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation category, is an innovative infrastructure project that forms part of the broader Parkes Water Security Program. Designed to meet the region's growing water needs while improving resilience, the lagoon increases the Water Treatment Plant's storage capacity by over 20 megalitres providing a 24-hour buffer during droughts, emergencies or system outages. The project uses solar energy and gravity to significantly cut emissions, reducing CO₂ output by more than 900 tonnes annually.

Jayet said he was particularly proud to see the cultural contributions of the Wiradjuri Language Group recognised adding "Language is a living part of culture, and the work being done to share and preserve Wiradjuri language in Parkes is truly significant.

"It's an honour to see that effort acknowledged alongside other incredible community initiatives across the country.”

A highlight of the evening was the Special Acknowledgement awarded to Parkes local Deb Jones in the Dame Phyllis Frost Local Hero category. After returning to Parkes in 2018 to care for her ageing parents, Deb channelled her creative expertise into enhancing the Parkes community.

Her involvement spans Central West Lachlan Landcare, National Tree Day, Schools Eco Day, NAIDOC events, NetWaste initiatives, and as Chairperson and co-founder of Parkes Community Arts. Her dedication to promoting sustainable art practices and reimagining the role of art in regional communities has left a lasting impact.

Jayet also commended the event hosts, saying "A heartfelt thank you to Indigo Shire Council for the warm welcome to beautiful Beechworth. Your hospitality made the occasion even more special."

Parkes now looks forward to hosting the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Awards in October 2025, where it will welcome communities from across the state to celebrate local initiatives and environmental leadership.