Hawkesbury City Council has been named the 2026 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Winner, recognised for its community engagement, environmental initiatives and collaborative approach to sustainability.
The announcement was made today at the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards at Hornsby RSL, hosted by 2025 winner Hornsby Shire Council.
The awards celebrate the contributions of councils, community groups, schools, businesses and individuals to more sustainable and liveable communities.
Tasneem Rangwala, Overall Assessor for the 2026 Sustainable Cities Awards, said the assessment pointed to a council that works closely with others.
“Sustainability is clearly a high priority at Hawkesbury, supported by strong collaboration and a shared commitment to the area’s future,” she said.
“The assessment highlighted enthusiastic community engagement and education, alongside work with First Nations peoples and neighbouring councils to address local environmental challenges.”
Hawkesbury’s Litter Prevention Program was named joint winner of the Litter Prevention category.
Council also received Highly Commended recognition for Hawkesbury Litter Education & Engagement in the Communication and Engagement category, and for Leading the Way with Sustainable Events in the Plastic Free Communities category.
These projects complement broader work in climate adaptation, recycling and waste management across Hawkesbury’s urban, rural and natural areas.
The Hawkesbury sits on the north-western edge of Greater Sydney and takes its name from the Hawkesbury River.
The district is among the earliest areas of European settlement in Australia, with 22 farms established along the Hawkesbury River in 1794.
Windsor and Richmond are its major towns.
Floodplains, farmland, townships and large areas of national park make environmental management a varied task for council.
Hawkesbury City Council, headquartered in Windsor, covers about 2,776 square kilometres, making it the largest local government area in the Sydney metropolitan region, with much of that land bushland, national park and farmland.
Sutherland Shire Council was named overall runner-up and won the Liveable Cities category for Trees as Assets: Transforming Urban Canopy.
The assessor praised its urban greening work, supported by native seed propagation, volunteers and education partnerships.
Val Southam, Chief Executive Officer of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW, congratulated this year’s recipients.
“These awards celebrate people giving their time, sharing their knowledge and working together to care for their local environment,” said Southam.
She also congratulated Hawkesbury, runner-up Sutherland and all entrants for their commitment to more sustainable and resilient communities.
Hawkesbury’s result places it ahead of every other entrant in this year’s program, with Sutherland Shire Council the closest rival.
The awards are presented across categories including Litter Prevention, Communication and Engagement, Plastic Free Communities and Liveable Cities, reflecting the range of ways communities approach sustainability.
Keep Australia Beautiful NSW is a not-for-profit organisation that works with communities, businesses and governments on litter prevention, waste reduction and sustainability.
The Sustainable Cities Awards form part of that work, recognising local government and community efforts across the state.
The awards program and event were held with the support of Hornsby Shire Council, the NSW Environment Protection Authority, and Snowy Hydro.
Hornsby Shire Council, which hosted this year’s event, is based in Sydney’s north, while Sutherland Shire Council serves communities in the city’s south.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority is the state’s primary environmental regulator, while Snowy Hydro is an Australian government-owned renewable energy business that operates the Snowy Mountains Scheme in southern New South Wales.