Pilbara organisations named as finalists in the WA Community Awards

Five organisations in the Pilbara have been named as finalists in a State-wide award including a recycling business, a brewery and a local government.

The Western Australia Community Achievement Awards celebrate the work of individuals and organisations in regional communities.

Both the City of Karratha and North West Recycling have been announced as finalists in the Rinehart Development of Northern Regional WA Award.

The City has been named on the back of the local government’s efforts to transform the town into a vibrant, modern cosmopolitan city while maintaining a debt-free bottom line.

Meanwhile, North West Recycling is a Containers for Change Refund Point Operator that employs 12 local people, including two living with disabilities and two with indigenous backgrounds.

Since 2020, the company has kept 7.6 million beverage containers from landfills.

In the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Economic Development Award, Exmouth’s Froth Craft Brewery will go up against the 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned Brida Pty Ltd.

Froth Craft Brewery is focused on producing good beers and beautiful dishes while giving their guests the best service and warmest welcome.

The Brida Pty Ltd social enterprise delivers cleaning services, ground maintenance, landscaping, waste management and labour hire services. More than half of its 210 employees are Aboriginal.

Brida earns almost $12 million annually and delivers $10.82 million in regular wages to local people. Its profits are reinvested to deliver social innovation and empower Indigenous people through social initiatives.

Meanwhile, Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation has been announced as a finalist in the Insurance Commission of Western Australia Regional Safety Award for its Red Dirt Driving Academy.

The Red Dirt Driving Academy is a social initiative aimed at addressing the high incidence of traffic offences and drink driving, and Aboriginal over-representation in the justice system because of traffic-related incarcerations.

RDDA assists Roebourne’s Aboriginal people to obtain or regain their driver’s licence. It also delivers road safety education workshops, theory tests and lessons to high school students.

The winners will be announced at an awards gala presentation dinner at the Hyatt Regency Perth on Friday.