Judgement Day: National judge inspects Horsham for Tidy Town Awards

After winning the top Victorian Award, Horsham has the chance to go one further at this year's Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Communities - Tidy Towns Awards.

Horsham hasn't won the award since 2003.

Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Town's judge Gail Langley said the Sustainable Communities Tidy Towns Awards were about setting an example for towns across Australia to follow.

"The idea behind it is it's designed to give a benchmark to councils and shires in how they're going in a sustainable sense moving forward," Ms Langley said.

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"There are nine categories which vary across resource management, water, energy, wellbeing, health and education."

Ms Langley, now in her fifth year judging the competition, said it had changed the way she looked at towns.

"I look at each new town completely differently now," she said.

The judge will jet around the country in the next six weeks to assess each of the six nominated towns.

Horsham Tidy Towns committee chair, David Eltringham, said Horsham's success to make the national awards went beyond the committee.

Speaking at a special lunch at Weir Park, Mr Eltringham dedicated the nomination to the volunteers behind the scenes.

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"(They) aren't part of our committee, but join in and are the legs and arms that help out," Mr Eltringham said.

Horsham Rural City Council mayor Robyn Gulline, councillors Les Power and Di Bell, and Horsham Agricultural Society's Andrea Cross were just a few of the attendees of the lunch.

Horsham has entered all nine categories of the award, with Ms Langley stating all entries were "to a high standard".

"Behind the scenes there is an undercurrent of a really successful community of volunteers," Ms Langley said.

"There seems to be a really long standing group here in Horsham who've been involved for years, but they're bringing in new ones as they go along.

"It's all about community really and how much they gel and how much everyone is working together.

"Horsham seem to be doing that really well."

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Horsham's own Young Legend, Bart Maxwell, said it was a big deal for Horsham to be recognised as a finalist.

"It's really good to show off what Horsham's actually got, because there's so much happening here," Maxwell said.

"It's such a tight-knit community; it's big, but it's small in the fact that everyone works together to be a part of these community events."

"It's really good to see how many people are willing to put their hand up and actually want to support local stuff that happens.

The Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Communities - Tidy Towns Awards will be presented in Hastings, Victoria, between July 29 and 31.

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