Ten entries for community projects across nine out of ten categories have been submitted for this year’s Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KAVB) Tidy Town and City sustainability awards.

KAVB running for 44 years is one of the nation’s longest standing nonprofits with its mission to inspire and empower community action to protect and enhance the environment

Beechworth’s Iris Mannik (OAM) began the hunt 35 years ago for local community projects to enter in the annual event liaising with volunteers and hasn’t missed a beat since then.

The town’s Anne Wilson joined forces to help 18 years ago with the pair forever on the lookout for projects.

Ms Mannik said the hard work and dedication of volunteers with their diverse projects undertaken for the community’s benefit has always been a stand-out factor.

She said KAVB in recognising and rewarding achievements for volunteers and their projects lets the nation know that in many cases community volunteers “make it happen and get the job done".

Ms Mannik said ongoing benefits for taking part in the awards is the acknowledgement and track record for funding further projects as well as the PR and state government recognition.

“We had no trouble in getting strong entries fitting KABV’s category selection criteria for this year’s event,” she said.

“We hope that as many as possible of our entries become finalists and it would wonderful if they all are.”

Among entries in various award categories are Indigo Regen (Behaviour Change Campaigns and Education), and Spring Ditch, and the Beechworth Railway Precinct (joint venture between Indigo Shire Council and Tourism North East) for Community.

Others include Indigo Power (Energy), Indigo Shire Waste Services – Soft Plastics Collection System (Litter – addressing local issues), and the Quercus Beechworth Repair Café (EPA Waste Prevention and Reduction).

Beechworth’s Amy Schilling has been nominated in the Young Legend Award with Beechworth History and Heritage Society (Heritage and Culture) and the Stanley Athenaeum (Indigenous Culture) also to be considered for an award.

Share the Dignity has been entered for the Social Well-being award category.

Online judging for submissions from across Victoria will commence after entries close on 15 July.

A gala dinner for award finalists with category winners announced will be held on 30 September in Melbourne.