Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Brighton top Tas Council

This year the Tasmanian Local Government Excellence Awards introduced a new category for a Council Project/Innovation. The inaugural winner was Brighton Council.

Brighton has initiated a range of community based environmental strategies, policies and practices that are improving quality of life for people in the region. Achievements include establishing a tree nursery and pine plantation nourished by treated sewage effluent, innovations in domestic wastewater disposal, water conservation and the Jordan River integrated Catchment Management Plan.

In addition, Brighton Council has been successful in obtaining funding to appoint a Landcare Facilitator to focus on catchment issues. This appointment will complement Council's current range of water related programs.

Brighton's many achievements for the local environment include the following 'firsts' for a Tasmanian Council.

• Establishing a sewage effluent reuse joint venture with private industry.
• Using treated sewage effluent in a tree nursery.
• Introducing a user pays water charging policy.
• Taking up the Department of Transport's 'Adopt a Highway' program.
• Hosting a Youth Environment Forum.
• Establishing a dedicated committee for environmental issues.
• Producing a State of the Environment report.
• Brighton's concern for the environment points the way to achieving a higher quality of life and improved level of wellbeing for the residents of any Tasmanian municipal district.

More recently, at the Tasmanian Awards for Environmental Excellence, Brighton Council won the Local Government Category and also took out the overall or Gold Award in the Minister's Sustainable Development Award.

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