Central Desert Shire Council has been recognised for its contribution to tackling heart disease at the 2013 Heart Foundation Healthy Community Awards, announced on 28th August 2013.

The Council received a Rising  Heart Encouragement Award in the Healthy Community Awards populations of 15,000 or less category.  "This is the third year in a row that the Council has been recognised in this way" said Shire President Adrian Dixon.  "This shows that the Council has a long term commitment to improving the health of our Communities.  Activities such as the CDSDC Women's Softball Competiton are great ways of involving women in sport and promoting fun, healthy activities and I am very proud of the Council's achievements."

The awards are important because they recognise the outstanding achievements of local governments in the continuing fight against heart disease – the number one killer of Australian men and women.

“Local governments play a pivotal role in introducing structural change, implementing policies and creating supportive environments which allow people to be physically active, reduce smoking and improve their nutrition,” said Dorothy Morrison CEO Heart Foundation Northern Territory.

Now in their 20th year, the awards were established to recognise initiatives from local governments that have contributed to improving heart health in Australian communities.  

The Heart Foundation Healthy Community Awards provide an opportunity for local government to celebrate their achievements and receive recognition for their commitment to creating healthier communities. 

On Tuesday 20th August, the Ti Tree community hosted a visit from the Governor-General, Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce AC CVO.  The visit was part of a whirl-wind tour of the NT which included visits to Groote Eylandt, Ti Tree and the Utopia Homelands.  

The magnificent staff at Ti Tree worked above and beyond the call of duty to make visiting Ti Tree a very special experience for the Governor General and the Governor-General Her Excellency the Honourable Quentin Bryce, was full of praise for the community of Ti Tree.  

During her visit, the Governor-General visited the Ti Tree Women’s Safe House before walking over to the Aged Care facility for morning tea.  Edna Snape, Ti Tree's Aged Care Coordinator, provided the Governor-General with a tour of the facility and introduced her to a number of the Ti Tree Aged Care clients.  Her Excellency was very interested in hearing about the challenges of providing meals and services to clients to such geographically distributed clients.

The Governor-General enjoyed a cup of tea and a chat before being presented with a beautiful art work by local Wilora artist, Evelyn Pultura.  “I am honoured to receive such a beautiful gift” the Governor-General told Evelyn.

After a brief tour of Ti Tree and the local communities which included hearing a local band from Pmara Junta practice, the Governor-General enjoyed a wonderful BBQ arranged by the local Ti Tree staff at Ti Tree School.

“The Ti Tree community was very pleased to host the Governor-General” Shire President Adrian Dixon said.  “The Shire staff worked extremely hard to make the day a success and they should be proud of their efforts”.

More pictures will be available from the Shire's September newsletter.