Hastings also established an eco-committee, initiated a New Zealand first analysis into the trees in their parks and reserves and has had a continued focus on sustainable tourism and community beautification.
Run annually since 1972, the awards inspire, recognise and acknowledge those individuals, schools, community groups, towns and cities working passionately to Keep New Zealand Beautiful.
This year, the Most Beautiful Towns & Cities awards have been aligned with the urban area classifications used by Statistics New Zealand for statistical purposes: Most Beautiful Small Town (small urban area with 1,000 - 9,999 residents), Most Beautiful Large Town (medium urban area with 10,000 - 29,999 residents), Most Beautiful Small City (large urban area 30,000 – 99,999 residents) and Most Beautiful Large City (major urban area with 100,000 or more residents).