The Shire of Collie was recently announced as one of the finalists in the 2018 Western Australian Heritage Awards.
Across eight categories, 25 individuals and heritage projects were chosen as finalists, with 16 being from regional Western Australia.
The shire was named a finalist in the Heritage Practices by a Local Government category for being committed to supporting and promoting conservation and maintenance of its heritage buildings, sites and places of interest.
"Collie has a long and proud history of honouring our living heritage and has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to its preservation," Shire president Sarah Stanley said.
"The Shire of Collie is honoured to be among three local governments recognised for heritage practices, thanks to the efforts of hardworking staff and dedicated community volunteers over a number of years.”
The completed restorations over the last few years includes the Railway Footbridge, Goods Shed, Railway Station, Miner's Institute, North Collie Community Hall, Cardiff Community Hall, Old Post Office and St David's Church.
Ongoing projects include free heritage advice from heritage architect, Kent Lyon; the heritage list, which protects heritage buildings within the shire and the public Museum Building, which recruited 50 volunteers for ongoing planning and management.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said maintaining the heritage of local towns was important for tourism.
"Preserving history can be a big opportunity for local governments to harness pride in the community and attract visitors,” he said.
“The Shire of Collie does a great job at doing this and I’m glad they’ve been recognised by being named a finalist in this state-wide award.”
Heritage Minister David Templeman said it was great to see regional projects recognised.
“The number of regional projects and individuals ... illustrate the important role heritage plays in creating vibrant, sustainable communities for the enjoyment of tourists and local residents,” he said.
The shire will go up against the City of Bunbury and the City of Busselton for the award at a ceremony on Friday, March 23 in Perth.