Cambridge has been crowned the Most Beautiful Large Town in New Zealand.
The Waipā town took the honours in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) annual awards at the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum in October.
The annual competition recognises the environmental excellence of individuals, groups, businesses and schools.
Cambridge, which won over runner-up Pukekohe, was described by judges as having “world-class beauty” and strong community spirit.
Destination Cambridge chief executive Miff Macdiarmid and chair Philip Coles entered the awards, with the application funded by the Cambridge Community Board. Coles has recently been elected Waipā district councillor for Cambridge Ward.
“We are super proud to receive the award and honoured to represent Cambridge,” Coles said.
“As they say, true beauty comes from within, and it’s our community which is the true champion. We always knew we were the most beautiful town in New Zealand, and now it’s official.”
Coles thanked Cambridge’s Michael Jeans and Josh Easby, who were instrumental in putting the application together.
The finalists were judged by celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen and KNZB CEO Heather Saunderson.
Van de Elzen said Cambridge had an understated world-class beauty.
“What stood out was how much people would give back to the area and invest in the future, from the tree planting schemes through to the community gardens.”
Each finalist had to demonstrate sustainable and environmentally conscious behaviours across four key areas: litter prevention and waste minimisation, community beautification, recycling projects and sustainable tourism.
Photo: Michael Jeans
Judges were impressed with the warm welcome from locals and environmental and community achievements such as Plastic Bag Free Cambridge, Boomerang Bags, the Cambridge Tree Trust – planting 10,000 trees a year and developing community parks – and the Cambridge Community Garden which provides fruit and vegetables to more than 500 people per month.
They also had a taste of Cambridge’s culinary scene, visiting local retailers and eateries such as Wholly Cow butchery, Over the Moon Deli, Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar and Paddock cafe.
Destination Cambridge chief executive Miff Macdiarmid said the win reflected the efforts of many – from council and the Cambridge Community Board to committed locals who give their time and skills to enhance Cambridge.
Council community services manager Sally Sheedy said she was excited that Cambridge had won the award.
“Our parks and reserves team take pride in their work maintaining the town’s gardens and open spaces so this is a great award to receive,” she said.
KNZB CEO Heather Saunderson said the finalists each demonstrated bold leadership in implementing innovative sustainable projects that help reduce their environmental footprint and build resilient towns and cities.
“These towns and cities are truly leading the way in tackling a variety of environmental issues, and we believe that their call to action will inspire others to create change.”
Cambridge stands in good company, with Whanganui crowned the Most Beautiful City and Waihī named Most Beautiful Small Town. Eleven other awards were presented at the ceremony to individuals, businesses, communities and places to celebrate their environmental excellence across New Zealand. Head to www.knzb.org.nz/beautiful-awards-2019-winners to view all award recipients.
