NEWS

KING ISLAND WILL REPRESENT TASMANIA IN NATIONAL AWARDS AFTER WINNING A RAFT OF AWARDS KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL – TASMANIA

Mayor, Julie Arnold

It was an honour to represent King Island at the Keep Australia Beautiful and Tidy Towns Tasmania – Sustainable Communities awards ceremony last week.

What started as an anti-litter campaign in 1968, Keep Australia Beautiful is now so much more; encompassing research, recycling, environmental guardianship and sustainability.

At the beautiful Dial Park sports complex in Penguin, I joined hundreds of other Tasmanian representatives from all walks of life, where we learned about school projects, such as a home schooling group who make recycled rubbish bags designed to use in cars. Kingston High School received an award for their inspiring greenhouse project.

We applauded projects in Launceston and Wynyard, volunteer projects and individual projects.

The key speaker was David Maynard, senior curator of natural sciences at QVMAG, who told us about regeneration in native reserves using fallen timbers and fire. I have invited David to King Island next year, to advise council and hopefully present his inspiring work to residents.

Several of the Keep Australia Beautiful Tasmania judges toured the island in late October after receiving multiple nominations from King Island.

Joined by Audrey Hamer and Heidi Weitjens, I was not expecting the whole raft of awards King Island received;

King Island Museum; certificate of recognition, for its fascinating and rich collection of history, displayed and cared for by  dedicated volunteers.
Reekara Community Complex; certificate of recognition, for art and craft and community connectedness, managed by the Lions Club.
King Island Cultural Centre; certificate of recognition, for its delightfully eclectic art gallery, workshops and residency program.
Phoenix Community House; certificate of recognition, incorporating the Men’s Shed and Community Garden, providing a safe accessible place of acceptance and welcome.
Lions Club of King Island; certificate of recognition, for recycling, providing firewood to those in need and building community facilities.
King Island Racing Club; certificate of recognition.
Hydro Tasmania’s King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project; certificate of recognition for its world leading hybrid power system.
Audrey Hamer and Heidi Weitjens both received individual recognition awards.
Mayor and Councillors of King Island Council; certificate of recognition for outstanding service to the community.
Keep Australia Beautiful Tasmania 2021 Sustainable Communities Award (population under 5,000) winner; King Island.
Keep Australia Beautiful Tasmania 2021 Sustainable Communities Overall Winner – KING ISLAND.

Minister Roger Jeansch presented the prestigious silver cup, where King Island’s name is engraved on the base, joining past winners.

I was quite overwhelmed by all the awards, it is really wonderful to be appreciated for all the work we do to enrich our island community.

On behalf of King Island, I thanked Keep Australia Beautiful for their recognition, which we are honoured and humbled to have received.

King Island will now represent Tasmania in the National Sustainable Communities Awards and I believe judges will be on the island in late January 2022.

I strongly believe that whilst King Island is economically sustainable, without the invaluable work by volunteers and volunteer organisations,  we would not as a community, be sustainable.

To make up for not being at the awards presentation, I would like to invite the community to join me in re-presenting and celebrating the awards to the above organisations.

What:             Keep Australia Beautiful and Tidy Towns Tasmania – Sustainable Communities awards
Where:          King Island Council Town Hall
When:            POKI market Saturday 11th December at 10.00am – 12.30