Meet our 2025 Community Environment Award Winners!

By Environment Victoria

We were thrilled to recognise seven outstanding individuals and community groups at this year’s Community Environment Awards.

From rehabilitating local waterways, to stopping polluting fossil fuel projects and engaging communities in new and innovative ways, the 2025 winners have all done remarkable things.

Geelong Renewables not Gas
Friends of Anglesea River
Electra Greene
Lauren Dillon
Nannas Against Nuclear
Minwen Wu
Friends of Kororoit Creek

Read on to find out more about each award winner.

Geelong Renewables not Gas

Geelong Renewables Not Gas (GRNG) was formed in response to Viva Energy’s proposal to build a gas terminal in Corio Bay in 2021. The group has run a community campaign with the ACF, Geelong Sustainability and Environment Victoria.

GRNG focuses on advocating for renewable energy and electrification, educating the local community, and fighting against proposed gas terminals. It has built up a diverse member base that includes residents directly affected by the proposal, individuals passionate about fishing and boating, and people concerned about pollution and the climate crisis.

LEARN MORE: geelongrenewablesnotgas.org

Friends of Anglesea River

The Anglesea River is facing multiple, complex threats including resumed groundwater use for Alcoa’s coal pit rehabilitation leading to acidification and fish kills, and generally poor management. Friends of Anglesea River is using citizen science and a community organising approach to tackle these issues.

They have held ongoing cultural awareness raising events including arts and music elements drawing diverse community engagement to the threats facing the river, and driving a record 170 community submissions and petition signed by 1700 community members to the Victorian Water Minister opposing Alcoa’s plans.

LEARN MORE: friendsofangleseariver.org

Electra Greene

Electra at an anti-nuclear rally in Gippsland

Electra Greene is a Kurnai Gunai woman and mother of three, who grew up in Tyers in the Latrobe Valley. As a community leader and teacher, Electra has worked as an Aboriginal Cultural leader and recently worked with Environment Victoria spearheading the successful campaign to resist the imposition of nuclear power on Gunai Kurnai lands.

Electra says that the most pressing environmental issue in her local area is water. “Water is the blood of the land and the veins of the earth. The three power stations we have here dug holes so deep that they have impacted the waterways. I’m deeply worried because the main waterway is so close, and it affects our wetlands. Salt water is coming up through the lakes – all the fishes and birds and other animals are declining.

Lauren Dillon

Lauren Dillon is a Community Organiser within ACF Geelong and Geelong Renewables Not Gas. Within this space, she organised a panel event focused on Australia’s gas problem and the safety and dredging concerns associated with gas terminals. She is also the Co-Founder of an Ecological Justice Alliance between ten schools and has been involved in environmental advocacy since high school. She is passionate about mobilising community support for policy change.

Nannas Against Nuclear

Nannas for Action (formerly Nannas Against Nuclear) is based in the Latrobe valley with members from all over Gippsland, drawing attention to urgent environmental issues including opposition to nuclear, supporting renewable energy and other environmental issues.

Formed in early 2025 as Nannas Against Nuclear as a response to then leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton’s nuclear proposal, the Nannas sat outside federal member Darren Chester’s office weekly, sparking conversations with the local community.

Though initially founded by a group of grandmothers who wanted to leave their children a better legacy than nuclear power, as membership has expanded so too have the issues the Nanna’s are campaigning on, including mine rehabilitation and the need to transition to renewable power in the Latrobe Valley.

LEARN MORE: facebook.com/NannasforAction

Minwen Wu

The Chinese Australian Network (CAN) and EnglishCorners.au, co-founded by community leader Minwen Wu, use bilingual community conversations to connect language learning with climate action.

Through free weekly gatherings and partnerships with Environment Victoria and local environment groups, they empower multicultural migrants to practise English, build social ties, and join grassroots environmental initiatives — fostering inclusion, environmental awareness, and a shared sense of belonging in Victoria’s diverse communities.

Friends of Kororoit Creek

The Friends of Kororoit Creek is a highly active volunteer group dedicated to restoring and enhancing the Kororoit Creek’s habitat corridor and surrounds. Their work spans large-scale revegetation, community workshops, art projects, and educational initiatives.

Once weedy, mown stretches, our project sites have been transformed into thriving reserves now bursting with biodiversity and life. The return of natural beauty and wildlife has inspired widespread community pride and participation.

Members of the group are active on the creek two or three times a week – their shared passion has significantly improved the habitat and environment of this much loved Creek in the Port Phillip catchment in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs.