Randwick City Council has won four awards at Local Government NSW's Excellence in the Environment Awards for Behaviour Change in Waste, Towards Net Zero, Asbestos Management and an award recognising the individual contribution of Council staff member Zaman Shamsuz.

The 2021 LGNSW Excellence in the Environment Awards, which were announced today Tuesday 16 November, recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements by NSW councils in managing and protecting the environment each year.

Behaviour Change in Waste: Council’s community education campaign for the new FOGO (food organics and garden organics in the same bin) collection and waste recovery initiative, which was implemented six months ahead of the March 2021 launch, was lauded for its comprehensive approach. This included a mix of traditional, outdoor, digital and in-person marketing, an ambassador who championed behavioural changes and targeted and translated materials to reach Randwick’s culturally diverse population. The engagement program has resulted in a 28% reduction in the content of waste in red bins and a 75% increase in organics recycling with only 1.5% contamination.

Towards Net Zero: Awarded to Council’s Community Sustainable program, which helps residents and businesses to implement a range of sustainability initiatives and access associated financial rebates. The program will help Council to achieve a target of 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions for the LGA by 2030. As of 30 June 2021, 263 rebates had been provided and resulted in the installation of 1,300kW of rooftop solar, 170kWh of battery storage, 22,000L of rainwater storage, 29 homes insulated, and 600 lights upgraded.

Asbestos Management: Council’s plan to remediate Purcell Park following reports of asbestos was praised for its multidisciplinary approach. This included capping the existing contaminated soil using geofabric mesh and excavated natural material and the installation of an innovative irrigation system that captures excess water from a nearby industrial factory to ensure healthy ground cover to prevent erosion and keep asbestos capping in good condition.

The annual Environment Awards also include two prestigious Local Sustainability Awards: one for overall council performance, and one to recognise the individual achievements of a council staff member in the field of sustainability.

Louise Petchell Memorial Award For Individual Sustainability: Zaman Shamsuz, Council’s Environmental Engineer, was recognised for his ongoing efforts in designing, constructing and monitoring each of Council’s water re-use projects.

Zaman has constructed and commissioned more than 16 stormwater, borewater, rainwater and blackwater systems across 24 of Randwick’s parks, playing fields and amenity buildings. These alternative water treatment systems provide more than 60 percent of Council’s operational water requirements. Zaman continues to maintain and monitor each of these systems to ensure compliance with the regulatory measures set by Sydney Water and NSW Health.