1. NATIONAL TIDY TOWNS COMPETITION 2017 Judge’s Comments
Once again it has been a great honour to have met you all and visited your towns. I really appreciate your efforts to make me welcome and to show me such a wonderful range of projects and sites so that I was able to get a comprehensive picture of how you work together and improve your local environments.
Another thing that I would like to thank you for is the hospitality and opportunity to meet such a cross section of age groups at community events and through your schools and service clubs.
It has been very hard to differentiate between the efforts of each town and I want to acknowledge the wonderful work that you all do continuously throughout the year and the progress you have made in improving the quality of life for your residents.
JILL GRANT

2. Core Values
Collaboration – getting things done with a combination and sharing of ideas, skills and resources
Caring – a focus on inclusion, dignity, purpose and opportunity
Creativity – aesthetic and technical solutions that are future oriented
Consistency – based on trust, respect and optimism
Something that I have noticed is that all the towns that have won their state and territory awards share some very positive core values that are the key to your success and sustainability.
Collaboration – getting things done with a combination and sharing of ideas, skills and resources
Caring – a focus on inclusion, dignity, purpose and opportunity
Creativity – aesthetic and technical solutions that are future oriented
Consistency – based on trust, respect and optimism
These qualities have given your towns a strategic advantage both in terms of being efficient and pleasant places to live now but also preparing them for a prosperous and encouraging future for your young people.

3. Young Legends
Another particularly impressive aspect of your communities is the young people that are the future of the towns
They ensure a continuation of knowledge and traditions but also bring innovative ways of doing things that will keep pace with new technologies and emerging opportunities.
Their great enthusiasm and dedication to the causes and activities they work on is truly inspirational - nurture and encourage them as much as you can.
I want to particularly acknowledge the important contribution of the young people in your towns. Through their conservation and wildlife rescue works, their community gardens, their social justice programs and fund raising for significant causes they make a major difference.
The leadership, education and mentoring that these young people are giving will help to bring through the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs and help your towns be well prepared for future challenges and opportunities.

4. One Planet Living www.bioregional.com
This organisation also has an Australian link from the main website with interactive maps and case studies eg Fremantle and Westwyk
Ten core principles that have been implemented in the design, building and operation of eco-villages and sustainable communities
I have seen many of these principles at work in your communities and in so many ways you are leaders in these fields.
On this theme of sustainable living at a community level, I did some research on what was happening in other regional areas around the world and came across the One Planet Living group which has projects around the world including in Australia. I think that the 10 Principles that define this project all apply to the Tidy Towns finalists and that you show such leadership in these areas.

5. Ten Principles
Health and happiness – active, sociable, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing
Equity and local economy – to support diverse local employment that supports fair trade practices
Culture and community – respecting and reviving local identity and culture to involve people in shaping their community
Sustainable water- efficient use in buildings, farming and manufacturing; design to avoid flooding, drought and water pollution

6. Ten principles continued
Local and sustainable food – access to healthy low impact and seasonally available food to reduce food waste and improve health
Sustainable materials – using healthy building products with low embodied energy, sourced locally from renewable and waste resources
Sustainable transport – reduce travel impacts by using low emission modes such as cycling, electric cars

7. Ten Principles continued
Zero Waste – reduce, reuse, recycle with the aim of zero waste to landfill and maximum use of resources
Zero Carbon – making buildings energy efficient and delivering energy needs with renewable technologies.
For more information and examples of projects and action plans that demonstrate these principles see the website.

8. Recommendations
In conclusion I just want to congratulate you all on your achievements and suggest that you continue on your current courses of action – they are working well!
Please talk to each other and swap success stories and suggestions as I think that you have so much to offer each other through your shared experiences
Integrate the protection of your natural and cultural heritage across the whole community to maximise the engagement and creative solutions.