Dimboola wins state ‘tidy’ award
Dimboola will represent Victoria in national Keep Australia Beautiful Australian Tidy Towns Awards next year.
The historic Wimmera settlement, which clinched state accolades during a presentation ceremony at Beechworth on Saturday night, will also host Keep Victoria Beautiful Tidy Towns Awards in 2019.
Officials announced Dimboola as Victoria’s tidiest town for 2018 ahead of finalists Horsham, Dartmoor, Mornington, Rosebud, Rye and Korumburra.
Dimboola was a finalist in nine awards categories, with Dimboola Town Committee winning a 2018 community action and leadership award for under 3000 population and Dimboola Memorial Secondary College captain and Hindmarsh Shire youth councillor Danni Haebich winning a 2018 young leaders award.
Dimboola Town Committee member and long-time Tidy Towns and Dimboola community advocate Jan Ballard, committee treasurer Kaylene Pietsch, committee member Chris Johnson, Hindmarsh councillors Deb Nelson and Tony Schneider, Danni Haebich and her mother Jenny represented Dimboola at the awards.
Former Dimboola resident and another Tidy Towns advocate Audrey Hurst also attended the ceremony to support Dimboola.
Cr Nelson said the award was ‘fantastic’ acknowledgement for all volunteer work that occurred in Dimboola.
“We are a small community and often small things that happen in small communities make a big difference to people’s lives,” she said. “We don’t do the work for the accolades; it is wonderful to be recognised.”
On accepting the community action and leadership award, Ms Pietsch said the amount of work that went into volunteering in Dimboola was impressive.
“We have completed a lot of projects and have more ongoing. We are very passionate about the town,” she said.
Ms Haebich said she had enjoyed the Tidy Towns experience.
“I was not expecting to win, but it feels great and it was good to meet other young leader nominees and learn about what they do in their communities,” she said.
Hindmarsh Mayor Ron Ismay congratulated the Dimboola winners.
“I know there have been many people involved in Dimboola’s Tidy Town entries over the years and it is difficult to single out individuals. But I would like to extend mine and the council’s thanks to Jan Ballard and Audrey Hurst for their tireless efforts over many years of involvement,” he said.
Horsham Tidy Towns Committee won a clean beach-waterway award category for ‘The Wimmera River Experience’ based an Anzac Centenary Bridge. Northern Grampians Shire Council won a protection of the environment category for its Stawell Tyre Intervention Project.
Highly commended awards went to Horsham’s Andrew Harrison in a young leader category; Dimboola Boat and Water Ski Club in clean beach-waterway; Department of Justice – Community Corrections and Sue and Rob Goudie of Horsham in litter prevention; Dimboola Victorian Railway Institute in cultural heritage; and Horsham Rural City Council-horsham Apex Club 15-Wimmera Catchment Management Authority-wimmera River Improvement Committee for a Horsham pump track in a community government partnerships section.