Tidy Towns


Wyalkatchem was announced National Tidy Towns winner at the awards ceremony run by the Keep Australia Beautiful Council on April 5th 2003. This is the culmination of many years of work by the coordinators in conjunction with the community, Shire Council and school. Tidy Towns has evolved over the years to more than a town beautification program and now encompasses environmental policies, initiatives by youth, waste management, community pride and Australian spirit.

Bobbie Reilly one of our coordinators was awarded the Individual Environment Award in September 2003 in the Western Australian Environmental Awards, for her ongoing work with Tidy Towns and for her generosity in sharing Wyalkatchem's ideas with other towns.

History


Tidy Towns began in Wyalkatchem in the 1970s. Wyalkatchem won a state wide award under coordinators Mavis Bookham and Sue Woods in 1986. Tidy Towns has always been well supported by volunteers. In 2000 Wyalkatchem again won the State Award for Western Australia’s Tidiest Town and in 2001 won the Australia Tidy Town Award for Community Spirit. Coordinators Bev McNee and Bobbie Reilly were awarded the Chairman’s Award for individual effort in 2001 as well as being Wyalkatchem’s Citizens of the Year in 2000. In 2002 the Tidy Towns Committee was nominated as a highly commended community organisation in the National Bank 2002 Community Link awards.The $1,000 cheque awarded was donated to the youth of the town. Wyalkatchem then won the state award followed by the National Award. A great effort for a small wheatbelt town!

Projects


Over the years Tidy Towns have been responsible for or involved in many projects in Wyalkatchem. They include:
  • Townscape improvement with more plants, gardens and old machinery in gardens
  • Organising of painting of murals
  • Organising entry statements to the town – signage and grain elevators
  • Aboriginal art in main street
  • Painting of lamp posts
  • Endangered species garden
  • Water Wise Garden
  • Painting of sheds, fences etc.
  • Cemetery upgrade, addition of gazebo
  • Railway station upgrade
  • Centennial park and gazebos at old Caltex site
  • Tractor tyre planters
  • Plough disc flowers

School Involvement


Students at the Wyalkatchem District High School are adherents to the new three R’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Some of their activities include:
  • A permaculture garden growing herbs and vegetables for school use
  • Worm farm using scraps from school garden, bottled worm juice an end product
  • Paper making from recycled paper including paper beads, paper bricks and note pads
  • Calico shopping bags made for sale to the public
  • Cork pin up boards
  • Recycling of lunch litter
 Bobbie Reilly
Bobbie Reilly with her Individual Environment Award

Community members help children with mosaic pavers
Community members help children with mosaic pavers for Wylie's Water Wise Garden

Community Involvement


Tidy Towns brings the community together. In 2002 community help included painting and undercoating an old woolshed building for a mural, restoring the old newsagency building and the painting of a mural to place on it, painting of lamp posts in sporting themes and making a water wise garden on a corner block. Local volunteers spent hours working and one of them, Andy Bywater was rewarded when he received the Bird Cameron Regional Achievers Award.

Shire Involvement


The Shire planted trees, and the outside workers weeded, carted sand, mulched, painted and cemented. The Shire also hosted a sausage sizzle to thank the many volunteers and a reception to welcome the National Judges Tidy Towns is a sub committee of the Shire and the Shire provides generous financial assistance.
Last modified 17-09-2004 03:05 AM