TATHRA bitou-basher, Mr Jim Kelly, has won a 2004 Regional Achievers Award in recognition of the valuable contribution and the difference he is making to his community.
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Mr Kelly was one of 10 finalists chosen from 150 people nominated for the Kleenheat Regional Achievers Awards in Orange at the weekend.
He said he was very surprised to be one of the five finalists who received a $2,500 Commonwealth Bank award saver account and a trophy.
Mr Kelly, who was nominated for the award by Mr Terry Sparling, said that although he was aware he had been nominated, he did not think he stood a chance against some of the other nominations.
"It was very competitive and I was surprised to get into the finals.
"When I saw what some of the other finalists had done I wrote myself off," Mr Kelly said.
"It was really interesting to see what other people had achieved in their communities."
Other nominees included those who had encouraged multicultural interaction with the community, increased indigenous job opportunities, established refugee support groups, raised money through magic for children with cancer, fought salinity, distributed drought relief, established community nurseries to regenerate the local environment and developed strong links between farmers and research scientists.
Mr Kelly was nominated for his achievement in forming the Tathra Landcare Group 11 years ago specifically to combat bitou bush.
This highly invasive weed, originally planted in the 1960s in an attempt to stabilise sand dunes, is the scourge of the NSW coastline and has proven very difficult to eradicate.
One of the few long-term successes in combating the weed is due to the tenacious efforts of Mr Kelly and the Tathra Landcare Group.
Mr Kelly is quick to point out that the award is the result of a team effort through Landcare.
"Tathra Landcare was formed in 1992, and Dave Greenland was with it since its inception," Mr Kelly said.
"It's a no frills, bottom-heavy organisation with hard-working volunteers that doesn't seek awards.
"We have won a few, though - since we began ripping into bitou bush we have gained two Tidy Town Awards and in the late 1990s we won a National Landcare Award for Best Practice bitou bush control.
"Two of our members flew to Adelaide recently to receive the NSW Landcare Silver Award.
"The group effort of our 30 active members has resulted in Tathra Landcare being highly decorated."
Mr Kelly said that since 1997 a three-pronged attack had been put into practice in the battle against bitou bush.
Spraying, monthly working bees and public awareness programs had resulted in Tathra Landcare being successful in combating the weed.
"We've completed our primary and secondary phase of the attack and are now at tertiary level, with well-attended working bees continuing and lots of public awareness," Mr Kelly said.
It is a big week for Mr Kelly who retires today after 30 years at Bega High School.
