Applications open for 2012 National Awards for Local Government

Caring for our Country, a joint initiative of the Australian Government Departments of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is proud to sponsor the 2012 National Awards for Local Government.

Caring for our Country will be sponsoring the award for Innovation in Natural Resource Management (PDF - 249 KB)  . The award recognises best practice in sustainable natural resource management planning and implementation.

For example, councils could enter projects for this award that involved innovation practices or planning of natural resource management projects to address the outcomes under the six Caring for our Country national priority areas. These projects could include, but are not limited to:

• Protecting, restoring or improving native habitat and vegetation
• Expanding or improving the management of our National Reserve System
• Improving land management practices
• Reducing discharge of sediment and nutrients from agricultural land into the Great Barrier Reef
• Reducing the impact of invasive animal and plant species
• Improving community participation in protecting and rehabilitation of coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats
• Protecting important natural assets in northern and remote Australia
• Protecting and maintaining traditional ecological knowledge.

This category is open to all councils – large, small, capital city and non-capital city. We encourage small councils to enter. Depending on the entries received, the judges may recommend a second award under this category for an entry from a small council with less than 5,000 rateable properties.

Applications will close on 17 February 2012. For more information about the National Awards for Local Government program and about other award categories, visit the awards website .