Entries for the 2013 Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Awards are now open, Member for Gembrook Brad Battin announced today. Mr Battin is encouraging locals to enter their community in this year’s Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities Awards or Sustainable Cities Awards. The Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities Awards are for communities in regional Victoria and the Sustainable Cities Awards are for communities in metropolitan Melbourne and satellite cities including Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Shepparton. Communities can compete for awards in a diverse range of categories including clean beaches, waste reduction, heritage and culture preservation, energy saving, improving biodiversity and water conservation. “The Keep Australia Beautiful Awards recognise the fantastic achievements of grassroots organisations in improving their local environment” Mr Battin said.

“If you think your community may be one of the tidiest in Victoria, I encourage you to submit a nomination.” Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said the awards were a great way to recognise Victorians taking practical action to improve their local environment. “For thirty years these awards have been encouraging Victorian communities to look after their local environment and be proud of the community they live in. “These awards are a great way to encourage practical and local efforts to improve our environment and support the Victorian Coalition Government’s commitment to fostering on-ground activities through meaningful partnerships,” Mr Smith said. This year’s awards feature a new litter prevention category to recognise communities taking action to tackle litter. The new category supports the Coalition Government’s offensive on littering, which includes its summer anti-litter campaign – A cleaner Victoria is in your hands, and the doubling of litter fines. Entries for the Sustainable Cities Awards close on 10 April 2013. Entries for the Tidy Towns – Sustainable Communities Awards close on 10 May 2013. To find our more information about the awards or to enter, please visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/kabv.