National Awards for Local Government category winners announced

Outstanding achievers in local government have been recognised today with the announcement of the category winners of the 2016 National Awards for Local Government.

Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government Paul Fletcher said the awards celebrate local governments’ achievements in delivering targeted, quality services to Australians in urban and regional communities.

“I congratulate all the nominees for this year’s awards,” Mr Fletcher said.

The category winners are:

• New South Wales’ Blue Mountains City Council for its Street Art Walk Project in the Arts Animates – excellence in building innovative and inspired communities category;

• New South Wales’ Tamworth Regional Council for its Regional Playground project in the Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure category;

• Victoria’s Swan Hill Rural City Council for its Pioneer Settlement Redevelopment project in the Contributing to Regional Growth category;

• Queensland’s Mackay Regional Council, for Transforming a Water Business project in the Digital Innovation in Local Government category;

• New South Wales’ Kiama Municipal Council for Kiama Dementia Friendly Project in the Disability Access and Inclusion category;

• Queensland’s Southern Downs Regional Council for its Backpackers & Seasonal Workers Road Safety Campaign in the Excellence in Road Safety category;

• Queensland’s Mackay Regional Council for its Revitalisation and Activation of Mackay City Centre project in the Innovation to Create More Liveable Australian Cities category;

• Victoria’s City of Greater Dandenong for its Creating Change: Social Cohesion Program in the Multicultural Australia – Strength in Diversity category;

• Western Australia’s City of Stirling for its Stirling Aboriginal Engagement Project in the Promoting Indigenous Recognition category; and

• Victoria’s Yarra City Council for its Yarra Young Entrepreneur Program in the Youth Economic Participation category.

The winner of the 2016 National Award for Excellence in Local Government will be announced at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly Dinner on 21 June 2016.

 
Attachment A: 2016 National Awards for Local Government Category Winners and Highly Commended

Category: Arts Animates – excellence in building innovative and inspired communities
Sponsored by the Ministry for the Arts in the Department of Communications and the Arts
Winner: Blue Mountains City Council ‘Street Art Walk’ Project – Blue Mountains City Council, NSW
Highly Commended: Bathurst Possum Skin Cloak Project – Bathurst Regional Council, NSW

Category: Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure
Sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Winner: Tamworth Regional Council – Regional Playground – Tamworth Regional Council, NSW

Category: Contributing to Regional Growth
Sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Winner: Pioneer Settlement Redevelopment – Heartbeat of the Murray – Swan Hill Rural City Council, Vic
Highly Commended: Cairns Water Security Strategy – A Community Collaborative Approach – Cairns Regional Council, Qld

Category: Digital Innovation in Local Government
Sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Winner: Transforming a Water Business – Mackay Regional Council, Qld
Highly Commended: Digital Innovation: Logan's Interactive Mapping Tool and Online Estimators – Logan City Council, Qld

Category: Disability Access and Inclusion
Sponsored by the Department of Social Services
Winner: Kiama Dementia Friendly Project – Kiama Municipal Council, NSW
Highly Commended: ‘Walkfest’ Disability Inclusion Project – City of Greater Dandenong, Vic

Category: Excellence in Road Safety
Sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Winner: Backpackers & Seasonal Workers Road Safety Campaign – Southern Downs Regional Council, Qld

Category: Innovation to Create More Liveable Australian Cities
Sponsored by Optus Business
Winner: Revitalisation and Activation of Mackay City Centre – Mackay Regional Council, Qld

Category: Multicultural Australia – Strength in Diversity
Sponsored by the Department of Social Services
Winner: Creating Change: Social Cohesion Program – City of Greater Dandenong, Vic
Highly Commended: Big Day Out in Harmony & Citizenship Ceremonies – Alice Springs Town Council, NT

Category: Promoting Indigenous Recognition
Sponsored by Woodside Energy Ltd.
Winner: Stirling Aboriginal Engagement Project – City of Stirling, WA
Highly Commended: Bungaree’s Farm – Mosman Municipal Council, NSW

Category: Youth Economic Participation
Sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Winner: Yarra Young Entrepreneur Program – Yarra City Council, Vic