Awards are now open to honour champions of waterway health.  These annual Healthy Waterways Awards recognise and reward the hard work that individuals, community groups and organisations undertake to protect and restore the health of our precious waterways, particularly after the devastating floods in Queensland, combined with extensive urban development and a growing population, which have all significantly impacted waterway health in South East Queensland.

The 2011 Awards are open to projects that produced results from January to December 2010. There are nine Award categories open for entry: 

• eWater - Water Sensitive Urban Design Award
• WaterSecure - Research Award
• BMT WBM - Government Award
• Seqwater - Rural Award
• Humes - Industry Award
• Brisbane Airport - Community Award
• SEQ Water Grid - Clean Up Award
• Veolia Water Australia - Education Award
• Queensland Urban Utilities - Waterways Champion

Award Entry is easy - simply download the entry form from the Healthy Waterways website www.healthywaterways.org. Complete and submit the form with supporting documents by 5pm Wednesday 27 April 2011.

The Awards are proudly hosted by Healthy Waterways, a non-for-profit organisation working collaboratively with government, industry, researchers and the community to protect and improve waterway health in South East Queensland.

CEO of Healthy Waterways, Dr Peter Schneider, said the impact of recent flooding on waterway health, and the restoration work ahead, highlights the importance of encouraging people to engage in waterway health projects.

“Waterway health is an extremely topical issue at the moment due to the recent floods. We want to recognise those people undertaking the important work of protecting our waterways,” Dr Schneider said.

“I encourage entries from anyone engaged in waterway health initiatives, no matter what size the project,” he said.

There is $23,500 in prize money to be won, with the individual category winners receiving $1,500 and an Awards trophy. The most innovative category winner will be awarded the Minister’s Grand Prize worth an additional $10,000.

Mr Peter Armstrong, Chair of the Sunshine Coast Litter Collective which won the 2010 Minister’s Grand Prize, stated that winning the Award last year has strengthened the Collective’s united focus to make the Sunshine Coast a litter free zone. “Winning the award has assisted us in raising community awareness of the problems of litter in our waterways, and reinvigorated the groups to continue their work to keep the Sunshine Coast’s waterways healthy,” Mr Armstrong said.

Entries close at 5pm Wednesday 27 April 2011 and winners will be announced at the gala Awards ceremony on Wednesday 22 June. For more information or to enter, visit www.healthywaterways.org or contact Healthy Waterways on 07 3123 1682.