Awards

McKell Medal

In 2009 Alice and Kevin Knight won the 23rd McKell Medal, the most prestigious Australian award for excellence and achievement in natural resource management.

The award commemorates the outstanding contribution made to soil and land conservation by Sir William McKell, Premier of NSW (1941-47) and Governor-General of Australia (1947–53).

The McKell Medal is awarded annually to recognise outstanding achievements in shaping community attitudes and practices in natural resource management through promotion, education, research or other development activities.

The Knight’s were only the second Victorians to receive the award.

RIGHT: Kevin and Alice Knight receiving their McKell medal award from Tony Burke, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts and the Victorian Minister for Agriculture and Small Business, Joe Helper. (Photo courtesy of DAFF website)

National Landcare award

The 2004 Sensis Landcare Catchment Award was awarded to the Woady Yaloak Catchment Group at Parliament House Canberra in September. The award is made every two years to a landcare group, catchment committee or other organisation, for excellence and innovation in creating and carrying out a Catchment Plan.

Landcare Australia Chief Executive Brian Scarsbrick said, ‘Landcare is about people power. When people band together, they can make such an incredible difference and that's very much what the Woady Yaloak Group is all about. They set a plan in motion to manage environmental issues and it's all been about viable businesses, looking after the local community and protecting local flora and fauna.’

"This is Landcare at its most exciting because these people have banded together to build a stronger community and change attitudes and practices. Gross income is improving. Businesses have become more viable. Change is being managed. Flora and fauna is being protected. The environment and the catchment end up being the winners."

Image: Alcoa's Paul Hallam with past chair of the Woady Yaloak Catchment Group, Alice Knight.

Landcare award

The Woady Yaloak Catchment Group's efforts in sustainable catchment management earned them the Sensis Victorian Landcare Catchment Award for 2003. The award recognises the outstanding achievements of volunteers promoting sustainable management of Victoria's natural resources.

The Woady group received the award based on their strong identification with Landcare and the inclusion of environmental, social and economic factors in their projects. Their plans were noted for being rich in catchment information and their integration efforts sophisticated.

"This has been a whole community effort, with everyone playing a vital part in its success. Congratulations to all involved," said Woady Yaloak Catchment Chairman Michael Rowe.

Australasia Pacific Extension Network / Grains Research and Development Corporation award for excellence in extension

The Woady Yaloak Catchment project was recognised in the experienced professional category of these awards in 2003.

The judges said: This was an excellent example of a community driven and led catchment development project, which is managed by the community for the community. The guiding philosophies are not easy to put into practice and to follow, and we are impressed by the way the community has managed to do that, resulting in continued voluntary participation, for a decade, increased capacity in the community and higher levels of farm profitability.