Barmera is announced as SA’s Most Sustainable Community.
A strong and vibrant community, Barmera in SA’s Riverland, has been named the Overall Winner of the 2016 KESAB Sustainable Communities Awards.
A surprise outcome to the Awards this year is a common link to the River Murray with the finalists (small, medium and large townships) being Clayton Bay, Barmera and Murray Bridge.
Along with the Overall win, Barmera (via community groups) scored highly in categories for Community Action and Partnerships and Appearance, Amenities and Facilities.
Awards were presented to winning towns, councils, schools and communities representing all corners of the State in South Australia’s longest serving and largest community environmental ongoing initiative.
KESAB’s Sustainable Communities Awards recognises dedication, effort and motivation to enhance local regional and rural communities. Just under 150 category entries were received this year, including entries from towns or organisations that have previously not been involved.
“Long-term sustainable practices are now entrenched in how communities manage local issues and the 2016 awards showcase the best examples across a range of focused categories,” said KESAB environmental solutions Executive Director, John Phillips OAM. “The awards have grown from being an anti-litter campaign to encompass initiatives as diverse as preserving heritage, saving water and energy, community action and leadership, embracing health and wellbeing and of course encouraging recycling and reuse of materials.”
Awards Judge, Alex Hammett, said the tight knit Barmera community epitomised Sustainable Communities showcasing initiatives including:
- Completion of the Anzac Centenary Memorial Cross to honour local soldiers using a Cross made from a Red Gum from Barmera football grounds and standing on tiles from Turkey
- Twilight Markets development and Outdoor Cinema equipment available to community groups.
- Barmera Gopher Route project providing improved access to town for those with mobility issues,
- Graffiti Removal Team, a group of volunteers assisting with graffiti removal in town.
- Barmerara Meru Committee –including representatives of the Berri Barmera Council and the First People’s of the River Murray for the care and control of Lake Bonney, including the development of a horse riding policy.
- Addition of public recycling bins in the Main Street.
Barmera will now become the SA finalist at the Keep Australia Beautiful National Tidy Towns Awards to be held in Triabunna, Tas in 2017. The Australian Tidy Towns Awards are sponsored by the Australian Packaging Covenant and the Department for the Environment.
