Hornsby Shire Council was awarded Overall Sustainable Council for 2010 at the Sustainable Cities Awards Dinner hosted by Keep Australia Beautiful NSW and last year's winner, City of Canada Bay Council.
The Sustainable Cities program is a Keep Australia Beautiful NSW initiative to recognise outstanding environmental initiatives implemented by local government authorities, schools, community groups and businesses, while raising public awareness of a range of environmental issues affecting metropolitan NSW.
Greg Woodhams and Felicity McCullum from Willoughby City Council received the Award from Ms Angela D'Amore MP, Member for Drummoyne, Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.
The Member for Drummoyne, Angela D'Amore MP, Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment presented the award.
Hornsby Shire Council won the top award for its strategic and focused Hornsby Shire 2020: Our Framework For A Sustainable Future plan. The plan encompasses all the council's policies, strategies and directions for achieving a sustainable city in one document, and provides a community and organisational engagement framework.
This is the second time the Council's Framework has won the overall category and last year it placed second.
Peter McLean, CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW said the 2020 Plan had moved forward significantly since it won the overall category in 2007.
"Hornsby is a council leading by example. Quantified outcomes show Hornsby's achievements as this plan is rolling out a 16 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in 2006 has become a 29 per cent reduction in this submission, and the number of bush care volunteers has increased by 25 per cent; ICLEI Milestone 2 and 3 has moved to Milestone 5."
Hornsby Shire Council's Framework includes carbon footprint reduction targets, emphasises two–way communication and open dialogue, and has an extensive community participation and education component. The plan has already had some significant achievements including the reduction of corporate and community carbon emission, and water and waste reductions in the Hornsby region.
The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW has sponsored one of the eight award categories, the Environmental Education Award category, since 2005.
Willoughby City Council won the Environmental Education Award for their Climate Clever Education Campaign. The runner up was Lane Cove Council for the Lane Cove Sustainable Living Project and Randwick City Council was highly commended for the Eco Heroes Club.
Other categories include biodiversity and water conservation and waste minimisation. Visit Keep Australia Beautiful NSW website to find out more, and to see who won.