Mount Isa’s Best Kept Street is a tiny, lush green cul de sac in Pioneer.
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Receiving the local honour on Tuesday afternoon was a group of happy families from Dalton Crescent.
The grassy street boasts large hardy trees in front yards, with back yards looking over East Street to the race course.
The Best Kept Street award is judged by councillors as part of Clean Up Australia Day.
The street’s smallest residents were especially excited to receive two shiny new street signs from Mount Isa City Council, and gardening supplies from Bunnings.
Frankie (2) and Cooper (4), and Brooke (8) play like siblings but live roofs apart.
Andrea Wallace at number 4 said the street has been tidy and green since they could remember.
“We’ve been here eight years now, and the lawns have always have been like this, that’s why I nominated it!” she said.
“It’s a pretty awesome achievement, really, we’ve all put a lot of work into it,” Andrea said.
Though there are definite challenges to residential upkeep in Mount Isa’s dry climate, water restrictions can’t hold back Dalton Crescent’s hardy vegetation.
“It makes it look pretty and it’s pretty low maintenance.”
”There’s water restrictions, and obviously then you’ve got to be careful of the lead.
“Luckily we have a bore so we can use that, but the other guys do really well here to maintain it.
The close knit community of 10 or 11 helps each other out where possible.
“We’ll water each others’ lawns if we’re away, and we sometimes play cricket together or have a barbecue.”
“We would really like to hold a DKR; Dalton Kitchen Rules,” Andrea laughed.
At least five beloved (and registered) pet dogs guard the award-winning street, including tiny chihuahua Millie, “the boss of the household” at number 4.
Mayor Joyce McCulloch said the aesthetic of Dalton Crescent shows there can be green spaces in the dry climate of Mount Isa.
“It just shows it is possible to have beautiful clean tidy streets and yards in the limitations we have, and it is possible to have green grass in the drought we’ve had, with the water restrictions that we have got,” Cr Mulloch said.
“Our homes and yards are such an important space; it’s where our kids learn to care about the environment and it is where our community pride comes from.”
Nominated streets were judged on their attractiveness due to residents maintaining individual properties and gardens and the absence of litter.
