The Shire of Collie has wowed judges at the annual Planning Institute of Australia WA Awards, taking out the Best Planning Ideas - Large Project Award.
The Shire's Collie River Valley Trails project was the award winning project and centres around transforming Collie into the adventure trail town of the region.
The PIA WA judging panel recognised the shire's innovative approach taken in the context of challenging economic circumstances.
Shire president Sarah Stanley said the award was a welcomed recognition of the efforts of staff, volunteers and stakeholders in putting together a visionary project that had the potential to transform the town.
"The Collie River Valley Trails project is more than just building kilometres of high-quality trails," she said.
The purpose of the Collie River Valley Trails project is to diversify the local economy by attracting visitors, rebrand the town as a adventure destination, connect all major attractions via walk/cycle trails and provide residents additional recreational opportunities.
Part of the project is already underway thanks to the State Government funded $10 million Collie Adventure Trails project, which aims to deliver a suite of new trails, trail improvements and associated infrastructure.
The win comes on the tails of the shire's 2018 PIA WA Award win last year when it won the national prize and the project is now eligible for the national PIA Awards in 2020.
