KAB

Tallebudgera Beach has been named Australia‟s "Cleanest Beach" for 2010/11 in the Keep Australia Beautiful, Australian Clean Beaches Awards 2010/11.

Tallebudgera, on the Gold Coast, outshone entries from all States and the Northern Territory to also take out the Community Action & Partnerships; "Dame Phyllis Frost‟ Litter Prevention and the Young Legends category awards.

The awards were held this afternoon in South Australia, hosted in association with last year‟s national winner, South Port Beach Noarlunga, represented by South Port Surf Club, other local communitygroups, and the City of Onkaparinga Council.

Situated along the waters of Tallebudgera Creek, linking the mountainous hinterland with the Pacific Ocean, Tallebudgera Beach showcases a living museum with rocky rambles, soft shores, mangroves and dunes, as well as pristine waters for safe swimming and popular surfing breaks.

According to the Australian Clean Beaches National Judge, Dr David Moy, Tallebudgera Beach is a well deserving winner of the national award due to the strong commitment to year-round positive action by a wide range of stakeholders to protect and enhance their local coastal environment.

"Tallebudgera Beach definitely raises the benchmark for other urbanised coastal cities and shires. The efforts of the local community, with strong support from the Gold Coast City Council, Griffith University‟s Coastal Management Centre, Tallebudgera SLSC and Education Queensland‟s Tallebudgera School, clearly demonstrates how communities working together can help protect their coastline and adapt to environmental and climate change issues.

"There are a wide range of programs in place that help facilitate education and direct community involvement in the preservation of the beach and ecosystems within the catchment area. Active programs include the BeachCare, Seagrass Watch, CoastEd, Waterwatch and proposed Mangrove Watch initiatives, whilst the Tallebudgera Surf Life Saving Club is dedicated to environmental education and protection involving all age groups, from the senior members right through to the nippers."

The Tallebudgera Beach School engages with over 8000 school students from across Queensland each year by hosting school environmental education camps and day visits. Established in the 1950‟s, the school prides itself in "letting the outdoors be yours" and educates youth on many subjects and activities that involve coastal issues and safe aquatic practices.

Dr David Moy added, "These and other environmental protection programmes provide excellent education, monitoring and research opportunities. Many of the local youth also contribute actively alongside the older community members in the regular weekend activities.

Chairman of Keep Australia Beautiful National Association, Don Chambers, said "Climate Change impacts such as rising sea levels, on top of other human and environmental stresses, could see many of our coastal systems pushed beyond their tipping point so that the landforms and ecosystems no longer function as they should."

"The Clean Beaches Awards and their participants provide great examples of what individuals and their communities can achieve in protecting and improving the coastal environment by working together sustainably. Well done to the whole community in and around Tallebudgera Beach for your efforts", Don Chambers added.

Through the Australian Clean Beaches Awards, Keep Australia Beautiful is able to recognise local community and individual efforts that are helping rural and regional communities to become environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.