City of Canada Bay has taken out one of the state’s top annual awards for council-led environmental initiatives.

Canada Bay took home the top gong for Local Sustainability in the LGNSW Excellence in the Environment Awards this week for its environmental strategy which encompasses an urban tree canopy strategy, a biodiversity strategy, an emissions reduction plan and a local movement strategy.

It has also planted 646 trees and more than 4,000 native shrubs, produced educational videos and home composting tutorials, delivered recycling and repair workshops and addressed rubbish bin overflow with via smart sensors.

Canada Bay says its projects, which include solar power purchase agreements and the adoption of hybrid cars in its fleet, have cut operational emissions by 35 per cent.

LGNSW president Linda Scott said the inner western Sydney Council had inspired its community to embrace sustainability.

“City of Canada Bay Council has done an outstanding job of developing a strategy that will lead their community to an environmentally sustainable future,” Cr Scott said in a statement.

“They are a great example of how councils punch well above their weight in delivering outstanding environmental outcomes with limited resources at their disposal.”

Awards were handed out across 16 categories including resource recovery, community health, climate change adaption, invasive species and sustainable infrastructure.

Also among the winners were Bathurst regional council for decreasing water consumption by 63 per cent and Campbelltown City Council for weed reduction in the upper Georges River.

Shoalhaven City Council was overall winner in the resource recovery category for its bushfire waste recycling program, which involved the establishment of a temporary processing facility to recycle some 18,000 tonnes of demolition waste from homes destroyed in the summer bushfires.

Ninety-six per cent of the material was recovered for use.

Full list of overall winners:

Asbestos Management -Snowy Valleys Council
Environmental Health Management – Central Coast Council 

Community Waste Services – Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation

Resource Recovery – Shoalhaven City Council

Behaviour Change in Waste – Waverley Council

Water Management – Murray River Council, City of Sydney

Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement: On-Ground Works – Coffs Harbour City Council

Invasive Species Management – Campbelltown City Council

Roadside Environmental Management – Port Stephens Council

Innovation in Planning, Policies and Decision Making – Byron Shire Council

Communication, Education and Empowerment – Bathurst Regional Council

Climate Change Adaption – Penrith City Council

Towards Net Zero Emissions – Shoalhaven City Councils

Sustainable Infrastructure – Goldenfields Water County Council

Local Sustainability – City of Canada Bay Council

Louise Petchell Memorial Award for Individual Sustainability – Loani Tierney, Mosman Council

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