Auburn Hospital project scores Australia Day award

A committed group of recyclers at Auburn Hospital has been awarded the Cumberland City Council Community Pride Award in a special ceremony on Australia Day.

The incredible team won one of five categories in the council’s annual Local Citizen of the Year and Community Pride Awards.

“These awards recognise and honour those individuals and groups who have selflessly devoted their time and energy to making Cumberland, Australia’s next great community,” Mayor Steve Christou said.

“The Auburn Recyclers are a group of dedicated environmentalists who founded the Auburn Hospital Recycling for the Future Project and are finding new ways to recycle items and reduce waste.

“Usable items no longer required by the hospital are redirected to where they can go to make a real difference, working equipment and furniture goes to MedEarth, and stock that has gone past its use-by date goes to animal charities.”

The project was started in 2006 by Alex Roberts, the son of Auburn Hospital after hours nurse Kristina Roberts, as a ‘Cans for Kids’ fundraiser when he was still in primary school.

Since then it has been enthusiastically driven by a team including Kristina, Barbara Chapman, Helen Sala and Roseanne Smith, and won numerous awards including from Western Sydney Local Health District and Keep Australia Beautiful NSW.

“It was very humbling to be recognised this way, but we hope it draws attention to the important work the recycling team does,” Kristina said.

“There were seven other very worthy finalists but the award was presented to our team – go Auburn!”