For the third time in six years, Toronto has won the Overall Town Category in its division at the Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Awards for NSW.

Toronto also won the Cultural Heritage Award, for its NAIDOC Day celebrations, and the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Conservation Award, for the Coal Point threatened species project.

Toronto Tidy Towns Committee chairwoman Kelly Hoare said a lot goes into winning the main award, and plenty of locals played their part.

When Tidy Towns assessors come to Toronto to inspect the town and cast their eye over the committee’s submissions, the entire community swings into gear, Ms Hoare said.

‘‘The council helps by mowing, the Rotary club and other service clubs remove any graffiti, and a range of Landcare groups, and licensed clubs such as Toronto Workers and Toronto Diggers pitch in,’’ she said.

‘‘So a lot of people can take credit for this.’’

Ms Hoare said the Tidy Towns Awards had evolved over time, and were now about more than litter-free streets.

‘‘The focus is now more on sustainable communities, and incorporating cultural activities as well,’’ she said.

Organisations such as Lake Macquarie Historical Society, Coal Point Landcare, and the Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhoods Group, and events such as the Rathmines Catalina Festival and NAIDOC Day celebrations were integral to Toronto’s success at the awards.

Chairwoman of the Westlakes NAIDOC Committee Anita Barker said winning the Cultural Heritage Award was the culmination of years of work by many dedicated locals who had helped Toronto’s NAIDOC Day celebrations to ‘‘grow exponentially’’ since they began more than 13 years ago.