To say Council were absolutely thrilled to bring home three awards for the Bridgewater community entry in the National Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) Awards would be an understatement.

In November last year Bridgewater won the Keep Australia Beautiful – Tasmanian State award for most sustainable community. This was testament to the immense strength and resilience of our Bridgewater community, community groups and dedicated volunteers.

As the winner of the State awards, Council entered the National Awards. In May 2024 members of Brighton Council and the community travelled to Gascoyne Junction in Western Australia to attend the awards ceremony.

The finalists from each of the States travelled from far and wide to meet each other, learn about each other’s projects and communities and enjoy a celebration of our achievements.
The other national finalists included Beechworth in Victoria, Bathurst in New South Wales, Pengilly in Western Australia and Ntaria (Hermannsburg) in the Northern Territory.

As the overall winners in 2023, Gascoyne Junction were the hosts of the 2024 awards. They were incredibly generous and gracious hosts to the 50+ people who arrived in this remote little town for the weekend. ‘The Junction’ normally only has a population of just over 70 people in the township itself. It was a big weekend for everyone in town.

Brighton Council congratulates Beechworth in North East Victoria on being the overall National Award winner for 2024.

Each of the local winners were officially acknowledged and presented with their National KAB awards and certificates at Brighton Council’s Community Volunteer Awards on 23 May at the Civic Centre in Bridgewater.

Brighton Council would like to specifically acknowledge and thank all those who directly contributed to these awards at both a state and national level: Brighton Community Food Hub, Jordan River Service Inc., Bridgewater Community House, Brighton Youth Action Group, Bridgewater Landcare Group and Derwent Catchment Project, Café Connections, Centacare Evolve Housing, Cultural Craft Group, Kutalayna Collective, Material Institute, Australian Red Cross – Tasmania and Joselle Griffin, and Under One Rainbow.

The effort these groups and individuals put into making the Bridgewater submission such a solid entry is indicative of the community spirit that surrounds us. What they all do everyday epitomises hope, positivity and kindness in a desire to make change and these awards are a tribute to that.