The 10 category winners of the 2018 National Awards for Local Government were announced this week by Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government, Dr John McVeigh MP.
The National Awards for Local Government celebrate the outstanding achievements of local councils in providing Australian communities with an impressive range of new and improved services.
“Entries for this year’s awards were again of an extraordinarily high standard,” Dr McVeigh said.
“They show what local governments can accomplish for their communities across a range of areas—the arts, regional growth, public safety, disability access and Indigenous communities.
“From establishing a solar energy farm to setting up a community emergency management network, these projects will improve daily life in country townships, regional centres and major cities right across the country. They go way beyond what many people would think is the role of local government.
“Congratulations to all the category winners and, indeed, all applicants for this year’s awards.”
The category winners are:
- Victoria’s Gannawarra Shire Council for its Gannawarra Performing Arts Partnership Delivery Model project in the Arts Animates—excellence in building vibrant and resilient communitiescategory;
- Victoria’s City of Melbourne for The Melbourne Renewal Energy Project,in the Contributing to Regional Growth category;
- Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Regional Council, for its Sunshine Coast Solar Farmproject in the Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure category;
- Western Australia’s City of Stirling for its Recycling Centre Balcatta—new model for operating a tip shop projectin the Disability Access and Inclusion category;
- Victoria’s Cardinia Shire Council for its Together We Can project in the Prevention and Community Safety category;
- Queensland’s Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council for its Ngana Muruku Jundjurrjiku Janay Wujal Wujal Emergency Management Network and Community Forum project, in the Achieving Big Things in Small Communities category;
- Victoria’s Yarra City Council for its Yarra’s Road Safety Innovation project, in the Excellence in Road Safety category;
- Victoria’s City of Ballarat for its Geo-spatial Collaboration to Improve Community Safetyproject, in the Innovation to Create More Liveable and Collaborative Communities category;
- South Australia’s District Council of Elliston for itsElliston Reconciliation Monument Wordingproject, in the Promoting Indigenous Recognition category;
- And—in a very special category—Ashleigh Tapper of Western Australia’s City of Armadale is the winner in the Next Gen Local Government Leader category.
The winner of the 2018 National Award for Excellence in Local Government will be chosen from these category winners and announced at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly Dinner in Canberra on Tuesday 19 June.
The Awards are sponsored by LG Professionals Australia, Woodside Energy Ltd and the Australian Government departments of Social Services; Communications and the Arts; and, Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities.
The full list of category winners and highly commended projects is available at infrastructure.gov.au/nalg