The Whitsundays earned national recognition when the Whitsunday Regional Council took out the National Award for Excellence in Community Development and Service Delivery in Canberra last weekend.
The award was presented for the Our Whitsunday: Our Utopia campaign which showcased the toughness of residents in the region who bounced back in record time after Cyclone Debbie brought the region to its knees in March last year.
Mayor Andrew Willcox said residents should be proud their community spirit had been recognised on the national stage.
“From day one, CEO Barry Omundson, councillors and myself have placed a strong focus on consulting and listening to residents and council, and community working together to create a bright future for our region,” Cr Willcox said.
The Our Whitsunday: Our Utopia clip which runs for almost three minutes, shows footage of locals in locations throughout the Whitsunday region, including the rural features of Proserpine, crops and beaches in Bowen and our very own iconic islands, filmed post-Debbie.
The campaign won the Queensland Local Government Managers award earlier this year before scooping the pool at theLocal Government Professionals National Federation Awards in Canberra at the weekend.
Mr Omundson said the campaign was launched to provide a positive vision of the future and “inspire regional pride” among residents through “local faces in local places, stunning natural beauty and the diversity of the region”.
“This is great recognition for the local stars who appeared in the campaign and most importantly, all of our Whitsunday residents for their genuine community spirit, passion and pride for the diverse region – the tropical paradise which others envy but we call home,” he said.
Tourism Whitsunday general manager Tash Wheeler emphasised the benefits of the campaign for tourism in the region, labelling it the gift that kept on giving.
“The clip has been a great tourism promotion for the Whitsundays with trade and investment networks in Japan, USA and Europe requesting copies to show at different trade shows and it was also screened at the Commonwealth Games trade show,” she said.
The Our Whitsunday: Our Utopia campaign was a collaboration between the council and Tropical Exposure.
The clip can be viewed online through the council’s website or on Youtube.
Source: Whitsunday Times
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