Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Timber Creek - tidiest town in the Territory

Working together as a community proved a winning recipe for the small town of Timber Creek which took out the Territory's 1996 Tidy Town Award. Located 280 kilometres south west of Katherine, Timber Creek has a population of around 200 people.

Formed as a Community Government Council in 1992, the town capitalised on its unique composition of equal numbers of Aboriginal and non Aboriginal elected members to draw on the support of the whole community.

For four years, the community worked to improve the approaches to the town, the road reserves along the highway, parks and gardens and tourist facilities. The combined effort that went into the Town's achievement is reflected in the number of minor Tidy Town awards Timber Creek also took out.

Apart from the overall award, the Town won the Small Community Award. The Myatt community won the recycling award for their water treatment plant and the Bulla community won the best Outstation Award. Timber Creek's Police Station won the best Government Department in a Small Community Award. The school was runner up in the Best School in a Small Community category, while the headmaster won an individual citizen award for his dedication to the community.

Along with improving the appearance of the Town, the combined effort has resulted in an improved standard of public health, community pride and a culturally harmonious environment in which residents can live and work. Central to the Town's presentation at the National Awards, to be held later this year, will be a pictorial history of the last 100 years of Aboriginal/non Aboriginal reconciliation.

For further information contact Martin Plum, Council Clerk, telephone (089) 750 860.

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