Now in its ninth year, the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Clean Beach Challenge enhances beachside communities by promoting environmental awareness, personal initiative, and civic pride.

The program recognises and rewards coastal communities, local councils, volunteers and surf life saving clubs and schools for initiatives that enhance, protect and preserve the NSW coastline. This includes dune and habitat conservation, community and business partnerships and environmental protection and education.

“The Clean Beach Challenge has been extremely competitive this year with a range of beaches receiving awards for their excellence. Many of the beaches are showing true initiative in dealing with their delicate beach environments.”

“Rainbow Beach is the clear regional winner of this hotly contested award and will now be in the running, with other regional winners from up and down the New South Wales coast, for the State award to be announced in Sydney on Friday 4 December,” Chief Executive Officer of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW, Peter McLean, said.

Rosemary Hadaway, Clean Beach Challenge Assessor for the Mid North Coast gave insight into why Rainbow Beach was the Overall Mid North Coast Regional Winner: “The public participation at this beach is amazing! Not only is there an extremely active SLSC, but many board riding clubs also use this beach. An amicable partnership has been set up for all groups to operate to their full potential. Partnerships between the beach community and businesses are exemplified in the funding and fit out of the planned new club house. The SLSC alone has 25 sponsors. Many businesses simply donate year after year without recognition or publicity,” Rosemary Hadaway, Clean Beach Challenge Assessor said.

“A lot of regeneration and weeding work has been done around the nearby creeks by groups including Landcare, and Conservation Volunteers Australia. There is an endangered ecological community along the creek. There is a strong community and events focus which make this the central area for the town. Bands, balls, church groups, playgroups, fitness groups, walkers, marine study groups and tourists in buses - all utilize the Rainbow Beach area with minimum conflict or damage, and maximum community spirit and participation.

“The new clubhouse will have water and energy efficient fittings and include a coffee shop, kiosk and upgraded hall, and will be even more of a focal point in the local area.

“Rainbow Beach is the clear regional winner of this award,” Rosemary Hadaway said.