Rochester Lions Club member Donna Campbell alongside student volunteers Connor O’Sullivan and Ryan Chappel and treasurer Belinda Cooper.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
Rochester Lions Club has been named a finalist in the 2026 Tidy Towns and Cities Sustainability Awards in the litter category, with its Rochester Container Depot project earning recognition for its contribution to recycling, litter reduction and community engagement.
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The depot, which has been operating since April 28, was entered in the awards after only a few months of operation, making the recognition particularly significant for the club.
Secretary Anne Chirnside will take part in a Zoom interview next week as part of the judging process, with finalists later attending an awards dinner in Melbourne.
Ms Chirnside said becoming a finalist was a proud moment for everyone involved.
“That means all the hard work, all the community work is worthwhile and being recognised,” she said.
The Rochester Container Depot was established to give residents a local option for returning eligible drink containers, reducing the need to travel to Echuca, Bendigo or other larger centres.
The project has drawn an enthusiastic community response, with Year 11 students, a Year 9 volunteer, work experience students and other local young people rolling up their sleeves to help with recycling, cleaning, gardening, painting and general upkeep around the depot.
Ms Chirnside said the initiative had already helped improve recycling awareness across Rochester.
“Now that people know that Lions are doing it, we’re getting people all over the place coming to do it,” Ms Chirnside said.
“So they know we’re going to put it all back into the town.”
The depot has already generated more than $12,000 in handling fees, while an estimated $25,000 worth of containers has been returned to the community in just a few months.
Lions currently operates with 30 collection bins and hopes to expand to 60 bins, which would allow a full truckload of recyclables to be collected each week.
“We were just happy to have 20 bins,” Ms Chirnside said.
“Our aim is to get 60 bins, so that’s a whole truck every week from us.”
Importantly, members say the project is about far more than raising money.
“It’s not just about financial gain. It’s about the community that’s built,” Ms Chirnside said.
“It’s about growing the community too and the Lions, because the more people see what we’re doing then the more people want to join to do better for the town.”
Lions Club Rochester secretary Anne Chirnside and treasurer Belinda Cooper at the container depot.
Photo by
Daniel Harvey
The club believes the income generated through the depot provides funding that can be reinvested into community projects, youth programs and local opportunities.
“The more people that help us grow is more for the town to grow, and have bigger and better things and more facilities and opportunities,” Ms Chirnside said.
She acknowledged the project had not been without its doubters in the early days, but said the community’s response had since spoken for itself.
“We had our naysayers,” Ms Chirnside said.
“We just kept going and now they are on board.”
The club said the strong community response had been one of the most rewarding aspects of the project.
“People are loving it,” Ms Chirnside said.
“Community people are volunteering as well because they love what it’s going to be for.”
Beyond the container depot, Rochester Lions has a busy calendar of community events coming up, including the junior public speaking finals this Sunday at 2.30pm, the show ’n’ shine market on October 24, the Twilight Christmas Market on December 11 and mural festival raffle ticket sales kicking off on September 1.
As the awards process continues, members hope the recognition will further highlight Rochester’s commitment to recycling, litter reduction and community-led sustainability initiatives.
