Is Albany the tidiest town?

Community efforts to maintain Albany’s superb surroundings have led to the City becoming a finalist in multiple categories at the Tidy Town Sustainable Communities Awards.

Out of the 45 WA regional communities which entered the contest, Albany has been selected as a finalist in three categories and for the overall prize.

In the young legends category, Jasmine Reeves, 15, who is passionate about supporting youth groups in Kalgan, is an example of the community spirit which has seen Albany named as a finalist.

Albany is also a finalist in the litter prevention and waste management category thanks to the efforts of people like Max and Marianne Chester, who have recycled hundreds of tonnes of second- hand clothes that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

The City’s use of waste woodchips from local plantations to fuel a new biomass boiler in the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre will see it vie for top honours in the environmental sustainability category.

Keep Albany Beautiful committee members Lynley Harrison and Annabel Paulley, who organised the city’s entries for the Tidy Town Awards, said they were confident Albany would win the competition this year.

“We want to recognise all the amazing things that local volunteers, environmental groups and local businesses do to help keep Albany looking fantastic and make it a great place to live,” Ms Paulley said. “They clean up litter and they clean up beaches — we’re doing all sorts of things to make Albany more sustainable for the future.”

State and category winners will be revealed at an awards night on October 25 in Perth.