NINETEEN finalists in this year’s Keep Victoria Beautiful Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Awards were recognised with certificates at a presentation held in Beechworth’s Town Hall on Monday with winners to be announced in Dimboola next month.

Keep Victoria Beautiful (KVB), one of Australia’s oldest environmental groups, has recognised and rewarded communities for 50 years.

In a record breaking year since entries began 26 years ago by Beechworth volunteer Iris Mannik with Indigo Shire Council support since then, 19 projects across 10 categories had been submitted with all of them selected as finalists, as well as Beechworth named one of five state town finalists.