Media Release

NEWS FLASH

11-11-06

Kimberley Toad Busters WIN Community Award

Friends of Kimberley Toad Busters

The Kununurra based volunteer toad busting group, The Kimberley Toad Busters won the Community of the Year Award at the Regional Achievement and Community Awards at the Parmelia Hilton in Perth last night, Friday November 10.

KTB is an East Kimberley Community Volunteer Organisation comprising of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Western Australians and is the first campaign in the State where the two groups have worked together.

Attending the award ceremony were KTB founder Lee Scott-Virtue and her partner Dean Goodgame, who flew down from Kununurra along with KTB vice-president, volunteer and vet Sarah Brett who has been working closely with the training of dingos in the hunt for cane toads.

Volunteer Sharon McLachlan and her toad busting thirteen year old daughter, Ellie, who also flew down for the ceremony, accepted the award on behalf of the group.

Sharon quoted Anthropologist Margaret Mead in her acceptance speech saying “a small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” KTB is a shining example of this with over 1200 volunteers – 16% of Kununurra’s population collectively busting over seven cubic tonnes of cane toads and saving large swathes of biomass in the process.

The group received a $2000 AwardSaver Account from the Commonwealth Bank, a glass trophy and will be part of a two week awareness campaign on WIN television. KTB are also finalists in next week’s WA Environment Awards, 2006.

IMAGE: Left to right: Sponsor Kleenheat Gas’ Sales Manager for WA and NT, Mike Carrigg; Ellie McLachlan; Sarah Brett; Sharon McLachlan; Lee Scott-Virtue; Dean Goodgame.

Call Friends of the Kimberley Toad Busters to find out how you can be part of saving WA from the cane toad.

For more information contact Sandy Boulter at Friends of the Kimberley Toad Busters on 0427 508 582.

If everyone was a toad buster, the toads would be busted!