The NSW Roadside Environmental Management Award recognises excellence and innovation in roadside environmental management planning and implementation.

The award incorporates, but is not limited to:

• Assessment of roadside environments.
• Preparation of roadside vegetation management plans or similar.
• Implementation of roadside vegetation management plans or similar e.g. through staff/contactor training, community education, demonstrated integration with other council planning.
• Monitoring and evaluation of roadside vegetation management plans or similar.

The overall winner of the 2015 NSW Roadside Environmental Management Award is Wingecarribee Shire Council. The Award was announced recently at the 2015 Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards held at Darling Harbour.

Wingecarribee Shire Council’s project involves a tool that helps to prioritise environmental weed management on the Shire's 1,150km of roadsides. The tool uses biodiversity rankings and GIS systems to highlight the roads with the highest environmental / biodiversity need. This approach ensures resources are being spent in the most strategic and beneficial way. Council also won Division B for councils with populations between 20,000-60,000 residents.

A description of Wingecarribee Shire Council’s winning project can be found at   http://www.lgsa.org.au/files/imce-uploads/90/Roadside_veg_Wingecarribee.pdf

In Division A (population less than 20,000) the winner was Cowra Shire Council for its Roadside Vegetation Management Plan.