Titjikala receives national Heritage & Culture Award
1 March 2015
Nestled among red sand dunes on the edge of the Simpson Desert, Titjikala’s 200 residents were honoured and extremely happy on Friday night to learn their community received the Heritage and Culture Award at the national Tidy Towns gala presentation night.
A contingent of MacDonnell Regional Council staff from Titjikala had travelled to Sheffield in Tasmania to attend the 2015 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Town Awards. At the awards they were honoured to accept the category award on behalf of their families and friends at home in Central Australia.
The small desert community of Titjikala has now for two years received the same Heritage and Culture Award category of the national Tidy Towns awards. Locally, the small community has for two years also been named the Territory Tidy Town.
“MacDonnell Regional Council is very proud of residents and workers in Titjikala, for their great efforts not just cleaning up their community but their dedication to keep improving it ” said MacDonnell Regional Council CEO, Jeff MacLeod.
Having experienced similar success at the previous year’s awards, the community had not rested on its laurels. Across the community of Titjikala everyone had increased their efforts in the hope of making the national Tidy Town title become their reality.
Almost everything that happens in Titjikala is achieved through community consultation and participation. During the last year Titjikala has established and achieved significant projects through broad community consultations delivering the following partnerships and actions:
- National Australia Bank supported erosion control revegetation project
- Melbourne University community engagement architecture development project
- NT Government’s Territory Housing community fencing upgrades to 22 homes
- Tangentyere Projects providing upgrades to sporting facilities at football oval and softball park through the Remote Jobs and Communities Program (RJCP)
- Alice Springs Metal Recyclers commercial engagement incorporating the 7mate TV series Outback Truckers
- Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (AACAP) set to deliver a community wide sewerage system that will replace individual septics tanks and reduce health risks in the low-lying flood prone community and other community development projects and activities
“MacDonnell Regional Council appreciates the community pride of staff and residents in all of its 13 communities across Central Australia. Many communities have been recognised in the Territory Tidy Towns awards for their hard work” said MacDonnell Regional Council CEO, Jeff MacLeod.
Councillors, management and staff of MacDonnell Regional Council are especially proud of the residents of Titjikala for their continued hard work that has seen them become the first remote community to be twice recognised in the national Tidy Town finals.
Titjikala looks set to have a bright future. It is recognised that across the community, everyone has had a role in helping Titjikala to become the national Tidy Town for 2015. Because of the community spirit and pride in Titjikala it is anticipated that it will remain a tidy town.
Category winners and the 2015 National Tidy Town were announced at a Local Gourmet Dinner in hosted by the outgoing winners in Sheffield on Friday evening 27 February.
Tellus Holdings, which recently received Major Project Status from the NT Government for the development of a salt mine near Titjikala, is happy to support the travel and accommodation for Titjikala community members to attend the National Tidy Towns Awards.