Foxton runner-up in Keep NZ Beautiful awards

Foxton has finished second to Kaitaia in an award designed to find the most beautiful small town in New Zealand. Run annually since 1972, Keep New Zealand Beautiful announced the winners of their Beautiful Awards 2021 last week, with Foxton entered in the small town section for towns with a population between 1000 and 9999.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO Heather Saunderson said they were impressed with the quality of submissions to the Beautiful Awards.

“It's been a tough year for community groups, councils and individuals alike, but their collective commitments to the environment haven't wavered — people are doing so much with limited resources, to keep their communities beautiful,” she said.

“Through the Beautiful Awards we're pleased to be able to celebrate the efforts made by community groups, schools councils and individuals who are striving to improve New Zealand's environment and thereby the quality of life in our rural communities, urban towns and cities.”

The Beautiful Awards are New Zealand's longestrunning sustainability awards and provide a benchmark for environmental excellence in Aotearoa. They inspire, recognise and acknowledge those individuals, schools, community groups, towns and cities working passionately across the country to Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

The awards were announced at the Beautiful Ball at Parliament House, Wellington. The ball was originally scheduled for October 2021, however it was postponed until February 2022 due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

Judged by Ms Saunderson and BusinessDesk's head of lifestyle and features Jacqui Loates-Haver this category of the Beautiful Awards recognises and celebrates beautiful towns, cities and regions across New Zealand and acknowledges the positive sustainability and climate change actions that have been taken by councils and