What sort of projects can be included in Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities?

Almost any community project can be considered as a Tidy Towns project - work on what is important for your community. Community groups may already be working on many projects that can be rewarded through Tidy Towns, such as:

• Attracting grants to work on environmental or cultural projects
• Cultural activities such as festivals or painting murals
• Cultural planning initiatives
• Eco-tourism and cultural tourism projects
• Planting native trees and gardens
• Eradicating environmental weeds
• Fauna and flora recovery
• Improving homes or yards for elderly or disadvantaged people
• Providing Environmental Education programs in schools
• Local awards for a variety of community efforts
• Partnerships between community and government to address local issues
• Mentoring youth leaders in your community
• Recycling programs
• Reducing water and energy use
• Rehabilitating native bushland
• Restoring historic sites
• School environment displays at shopping centres, field days etc.
• Providing facilities such as seats, bins, shelters, BBQs
• Community litter clean ups
• Recording oral histories
• Providing breakfasts at school
• Propagating local native seed
• Water harvesting

The 2008 Tidy Towns Winners' Book has more details of projects undertaken in 2008 by regional finalists.

Your community will be judged on the improvements made between August 2008 and July 2009, taking into account some projects are small and succinct while others are the culmination of years of effort - so judges will look at efforts to maintain projects as well as new projects.

Please don't think your TTC or community has to undertake all of the suggestions in this book - we want to reward community achievement, not promote volunteer burnout!