Nominations called for State coastal awards for excellence.

Nominations for the 2007 Western Australian Coastal Awards for Excellence are now open.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the awards recognise individuals and organisations that have played an active role in the management and protection of the coast and marine life in WA.

“The Western Australian Coastal Awards for Excellence are our way of saying thank you to local communities, coastal managers and individuals for their commitment and hard work in planning and managing the State’s coastal areas,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“Without these efforts many important coastal rehabilitation and marine conservation projects may never have begun.

“The winners will be announced as part of the Western Australian State Coastal Conference to be held in Denmark in November 2007.

“By incorporating the awards as part of the State Coastal Conference it means recipients are recognised in front of their peers and industry for their work in improving our coastal environment.”

The awards are a biennial event and part of the Coastwest program coordinated by the Department for Planning and Infrastructure and Western Australian Planning Commission.

The awards are open to community groups, individual, organisations, government agencies and local governments within Western Australia.

Award categories in 2007 are:
• Outstanding coastal leadership;
• Outstanding community group effort;
• Outstanding partnership in coastal planning and/or management;
• Outstanding indigenous coastal achievement;
• Local government excellence in coastal planning and/or management;
• Outstanding student research; and
• Outstanding coastal development, innovation and/or design.

Nomination forms and information on the 2005 winners can be found on the WAPC website http://www.wapc.wa.gov.au or by calling the Department for Planning and Infrastructure on (08) 9264 7777.

Nominations for the awards close on Friday, August 10 2007.