Media Release

16-6-06

Former Green Mayor Welcomes Randwick City Council's UN World Environment Day Award

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Randwick City Council has received a Special Commendation in the annual United Nations Association of Australia's World Environment Day Awards.

Randwick received the commendation for its innovative “Sustaining Our City” programme after being edged out by Hume City Council as the over all winner of the award.

The Sustaining Our City program was initiated by Randwick's former Green Mayor Councillor Murray Matson shortly after taking office in 2004.

To set up the program Cr Matson had to overcome Labor Councillors who chose to wage a damaging personal fight against him over the special rate levy used to fund the program.

Cr Matson said today,

“I felt very proud for the Greens to learn that Randwick had done so well in the Environment Day Awards. I had to fight as the first Green Mayor in Sydney to get it taken up by the Council but it has now proved its worth as one of our major ongoing sustainability initiatives”.

Randwick won the commendation for the category of “Environmental Solutions Local Government Awards - Excellence in Overall Environmental Management.”

Randwick's Sustaining Our City Programme has three staff and some of it's major activities include:

• Six new sediment pits each year to achieve cleaner waste water;

• Native habitat corridors between botany bay national park and centennial park lands;

• Installing additional Gross Pollutant Traps prevent rubbish items such as drink containers, plastic bags and leafy material from washing down Council drains;

• Rehabilitating and stabilising beach sand dunes;

• Funding the Council's annual Eco Fair for World Environment Day;

• Plantings of park and street trees; and

• A range of energy and water saving initiatives including research with the local University into water saving initiatives built around using Council infrastructure;

CONTACT: Randwick City Greens Deputy Mayor Murray Matson

BACKGROUND:

http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/default.php?id=383

http://www.unaavictoria.org.au/pages/awards-program/world-environment-day-awards/winners-and-finalists.php