Published On: October 18th, 2019

The winner of the prestigious Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2019 Sustainable Cities Awards was announced on Thursday 17 October 2019.
The Overall 2019 Sustainable Cities Award was presented to Cumberland Council.

Cumberland Council was also the winner of the Habitat and Wildlife Conservation Award and the Community Spirit and Inclusion Award and was Highly Commended in the Waste Less, Recycle More – Waste Minimisation Award, which is proudly supported by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA).

The event, hosted by Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (KABNSW) and the 2018 winner, Inner West Council, with the support of NSW EPA and Return and Earn, was held at Leichhardt Oval, Lilyfield following a programme of presentations by prominent industry representatives and Councils.

These important Awards recognise and support the accomplishments of Councils and volunteer environmental projects that actively work towards making Sydney a prime model for sustainable practices across all sectors of the community and industry.

Val Southam, CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW believes that the Sustainable Cities Awards are more than just about receiving or giving accolades.
“This important Awards Program showcases the best of the best and is a fantastic opportunity to learn from other participants, build important networks and showcase the work of tireless community efforts.”

This year’s Sustainable Cities Award program was again very competitive, with an excellent response from across Sydney.
“Our Overall winner, Cumberland Council truly shone and have shown they are clear leaders with a diverse range of programs and activities focused on the environment, community inclusion, integration and connection. The community has a vast range of opportunities and options to contribute to the environment and community wellbeing through these programs.”

This year, Return and Earn has teamed up with Keep Australia Beautiful NSW to sponsor $5,000 for an outstanding litter prevention project. The cash prize went to the Bottle Kids from Preston’s who were also awarded the Overall Return and Earn Litter Prevention Award by KABNSW. The cash award will help to support their litter initiatives and maximise their environmental goals in the future.

For the full list of winners and finalists, click here.