WA Coastal Awards for Excellence

Congratulations to the winners.

Read the Minister's media statement

This year’s award winners were:

• Coastal Champion – Walter Kolb - Stirling Natural Environment Coastcare
  •  Special Commendation: Don Poynton - Coordinator Friends of North Ocean Reef-Iluka Foreshore
     
• Coastal Planning -  Western Australian Local Government Association - Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Planning Forum
   
• Coastal Management and Adaptation – Town of Port Hedland
  • Special Commendation: City of Wanneroo - Quinns Beach Long Term Coastal Management
  • Special Commendation: City of Cockburn - Engineered fringing reef at C.Y. O'Connor Beach
     
• Education and Engagement – Perth NRM - Adopt A Beach & Coastal Capacity Building Programs
  • Special Commendation: Nature Conservation Margaret River Region - Adopt a Spot Program
     
• Coastal Design – Shire of Broome - Guwarri Town Beach Redevelopment 
  • Special Commendation: City of Albany - Middleton Beach Foreshore Enhancement Project
     
• Science and Research - Conservation Council of Western Australia - WA Fairy Tern Network
  • Special Commendation: CoastSnapWA - Community Beach Monitoring  

Winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony held in Mandurah on 19 September 2022. The Minister for Planning, Hon Rita Saffioti, presented the awards to the winners.

Finalists were selected by a panel of judges consisting of members from the Western Australian Planning Commission, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, coastal and marine natural resource management groups and local government. 

The awards celebrate the outstanding efforts and achievements of individuals, community groups, schools, local and State government agencies and non-government organisations in planning, managing and protecting WA’s coast. 

The awards are proudly coordinated by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage on behalf of the Western Australian Planning Commission, and are held every two years. 

2019 Winners 

• Coastal Champion Award - Environs Kimberley for the Broome Community Seagrass Monitoring Project
• Community Group Award - Cottesloe Coastcare Association (Inc)
• Community Group Award (Special Commendation) - Friends of Point Peron
• Local Government Award - City of Rockingham
• On-ground Coastal Management Award - Swan Estuary Reserves Action Group Inc.
• Coastal Planning Award - Peron Naturaliste Partnership
• Coastal Design, Heritage and Tourism (2 awards) - City of Cockburn for the Coogee Maritime Trail and City of Greater Geraldton for the Beresford Foreshore Coastal Protection and Enhancement Project

2017 Winners 

• Coastal Champion – Dr. Marjorie Apthorpe (Friends of North Ocean Reef – Iluka Foreshore).
  • Special Commendation: South West and Peel Coastal Management Group (CoastSWap).
• Community Group Effort – South West and Peel Coastal Management Group (CoastSWap) for the Mandurah to Walpole Coastal Stakeholder Forums and Coastal Management Case Studies Project (2014-2017).
• Local Government award – City of Joondalup for the Coastal Adaptation Planning and Implementation Project.
  • Special Commendation: City of Cockburn for the Coogee Maritime Trail.
• On-Ground Coastal Management – Batavia Coast Maritime Institute for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands habitat restoration and revegetation project.
• Coastal Planning Initiative – Cockburn Sound Alliance.
  • Special Commendation: South West Catchments Council for the Coastal Action Plan: Binningup to Walpole.
• Coastal Development/Design/Tourism Initiative
  • Special Commendation: City of Karratha for the coastal enhancement projects at Karratha Searipple precinct and Point Samson Dampier Foreshores.
• Special Award: Industry and Community Collaboration Award – Woodside Energy and Conservation Volunteers Australia for the Woodside Coastal Guardians Program.

2013 Winners

•  Individual Contribution – Kimberly Onton (Birdlife Australia – Shorebirds 2020).
• Community Group Effort – Conservation Volunteers Australia for the Coastal Guardians project.
  • Special Commendation:  Capes Volunteer Team – Cape to Cape Catchments Group for coastal rehabilitation work following the 2011 Margaret River bushfires.
• Coastal Heritage Preservation – Curtin University Sustainable Policy Institute in partnership with the Western Australia Marine Science Institute for the Seeing Change: A photographic story from Abrolhos fishers project.
• Coastal Environmental Initiative – Tangaroa Blue Foundation for the Australian Marine Debris Initiative.
• Coastal Development/Design – Department of Environment and Conservation – Midwest Region for the Kalbarri National Park – Coastal Cliffs Restoration Project.
• Coastal/Marine Research or Education – Dunsborough Primary School and Geographe Catchment Council for Bay OK Day.

2011 Winners

• Individual Contribution (2 awards) – Robyn Benken (Cottesloe Coastcare Association) and Brad Kneebone (Lowlands Coastcare Group / South Coast Management Group).
• Community Group Effort (2 awards) – Geographe Catchment Council for the “Bay OK” Project and Parry Beach Voluntary Management Group.
• Coastal Partnership - City of Albany / Elleker Progress & Sporting Assoc. / Southern Aboriginal Corporation / South Coast NRM Noongar Works Team / South Coast Management Group for the environmental restoration work around Torbay Inlet.
• Indigenous Coastal Achievement - Bardi Jawi Rangers for the Bardi Jawi Cultural Experience Project (Broome).
• Coastal/Marine Research or Education - Albany Senior High School for the Albany Senior High School Marine Science Program.
• Coastal Development/Design - Blackwell & Associates Pty Ltd for the Leighton Foreshore Project.