Carnarvon and Cue recognised at regional Tidy Towns Awards for youth leadership and protection of heritage

Two Mid West towns have been recognised at the 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful Council’s Tidy Towns Sustainable Community Awards.

The awards honour regional councils, organisations, and volunteers for their contribution towards sustainability and providing a clean environment for the community.

In the shire of Carnarvon, 21-year-old Hana Smith was recognised for her leadership in the development of the Future Is Me Urban Art project.

The program, which aimed to engage young people while addressing graffiti in the area through art-related projects, recently won an award at the Minister for Local Government’s Place Innovation Awards.

Ms Smith, the community development officer at the Shire of Carnarvon, used her ability to empathise and relate to other young people as a means of bringing the project to life, according to the Tidy Towns Awards.

Shire president Eddie Smith said her efforts had helped improve the area.

“Hana’s passion for empowering our youth and creating opportunities for them is truly extraordinary,” he said.

“This award is a testament to her hard work and commitment to making Carnarvon a better place for everyone.”

The shire of Cue claimed the heritage and culture award, taking a strategic approach to preserving its history.

According to awards organisers, the shire took a “financially responsible” method, prioritising restoration to not only honour the town’s past, but to ensure the buildings were functional for society.

Buildings which were restored include the Cue Heritage Centre, the Bank of New South Wales, the Masonic Lodge, the Old Municipal Chambers, the Railway Station, the shire office, and the Old Gaol.

Port and South Hedland won the overall State title this year, with the Mid West shire of Sandstone finishing as a finalist.

Clean Up Carnarvon’s Little Legends was a finalist in the litter action category, alongside Sandstone’s Law of Attraction.

In the waste management category, The Bowerbird in Geraldton and Mt Magnet’s refuse site upgrade were both finalists.

Mt Magnet was also a finalist for the heritage and culture award, for its old school restoration project.

Meekatharra’s Containers For Change was one of the finalists in the community Containers For Change category, and the Meeka Walk for suicide awareness was also a finalist for community action and wellbeing.

Sandstone’s initiative to replace trees to save water was a finalist in the sustainability category.

Caring For Carnarvon 6701 was also recognised as a finalist in the general appearance category, for its urban art program.