Coolah took out the Packaging Stewardship Forum Waste Management and Litter Reduction Award for a town between 350 and 1200 residents, edging out the overall Tidy Towns winner Lockhart for the prize.

Chairman of the Coolah District Development Group Richard Tanner attended the awards in Tamworth on the weekend and said the recognition is a great step forward for the town.

“As a town Coolah has supported the tidy initiatives that have been introduced and the award will help continue this support,” he said.

Mr Tanner also said receiving the award was only the start of something bigger for the town.

“We were among the finalists for the overall Tidy Towns award which means we have to keep working hard to win the major award,” he said.

And Coolah is already shaping up for future Tidy Towns entries.

“Already there are three projects the town is working towards including the cycleway along the Coolah Creek as well as upgrading the showground’s shower and toilet facilities and developing a skate park for youths,” Mr Tanner said.

Coolah was recognised with a Highly Commended in the overall Tidy Towns category and both of the town’s awards can be found at the local library.

“The nomination caught us a bit on the hop this year and we might take a couple of years to get these projects up and running but we will definitely be prepared in the future,” Mr Tanner said.