The challenge encouraged clubs and groups to get their members, families and friends to complete as many surveys about saving energy at home as possible. The more they gathered, the more likely they would be in the running for the prize money.

Batemans Bay Cricket Club won the $1000 major prize, Eurobodalla Canine Club $500 and SAGE Community Gardens won $200 for third place.

Mayor Lindsay Brown said the competition was tight right up until entries closed on Monday.

“The competition was very close right to the end, with only a handful of completed surveys resting between the winning groups and the other contenders,” he said.

“The Batemans Bay Cricket Club was very well-organised and competed fiercely, submitting 55 surveys to take out the top prize. It plans to buy an energy efficient fridge to replace the club’s three old ones.”

The Canine Club is thinking about buying new equipment for agility training and SAGE is going to upgrade their water irrigation system for their vegetables.

Cr Brown said the objective was to make people in our local community aware of the simple ways they can save power and water around the home.

“Council provided the ‘Easy steps to save power around your home’ fact sheet on its website to help them before they completed the survey,” he said.

“We hope by participating, residents now feel able to take the steps needed to significantly reduce their energy bills.”

Mr Weyman said he was really happy that so many clubs and community groups got involved.

“In total the competition attracted more than 200 completed surveys which is an outstanding response for its first year,” he said.

The Ack Weyman Energy Challenge is the second phase of council’s Community Building Sustainability Project which it funds with the NSW Environmental Trust.

The project has been educating and supporting the users of 50 community buildings across Eurobodalla for the last two years to help them reduce their energy costs. Sports clubs, community halls, and RFS sheds have been fitted with simple energy and water efficiency solutions; the second phase has been about helping people to save energy at home.

Eurobodalla Shire Council praised the following groups and clubs for taking part in the Ack Weyman Energy Challenge:

Batemans Bay Tennis, South Coast Special Olympics, Batemans Bay Cricket, Batemans Bay Football, Batemans Bay Soccer, Broulee Surf Life Saving Club, Batemans Bay Tigers Junior Cricket, Narooma Surf Life Saving  Club, Narooma Little Athletics, Batemans Bay Boars Rugby, Broulee Women’s Boardriders, Broulee Boardriders, Moruya District Poultry Club, SAGE Community Gardens, Batemans Bay Basket Ball, Narooma Blue Water Dragons, Bodalla Netball, Nature Coast Dragon Boat Club, Sapphire Coast AFL, Broulee Moruya AFL, Batemans Bay Seahawks, Moruya Surf Life Saving Club and Eurobodalla Canine Club.