Winners of the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards for 2021 have been announced at an award dinner held in Sydney on 3 June, which celebrated the best of local government achievement across the state.
The NSW Local Government Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements while promoting innovation and continuous improvement within NSW local government. Awards categories spanned across various local government responsibilities, including asset management, infrastructure, disaster management, community partnership and development and more.
Winners included projects like Shoalhaven City Council’s Bushfire Recovery Action Plan; the City of Newcastle’s COVID-19 Community and Economic Resilience Package, as well as one for its Community and Civic Hub; and MidCoast Council who won for its Yalawanyi Ganya Office Centralisation Project.
City of Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, said the two awards his council received were a testament to the City’s leadership and the staff’s commitment to serve and support the local community.
“The awards are an outstanding achievement and recognise City of Newcastle’s innovation and culture of continuous improvement,” Mayor Nelmes said.
“City of Newcastle is leading the way with its digital transformation and ability to provide support to the community.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
Asset Management and Infrastructure
Projects over $1.5 million – Population over 100,000
Winner: City of Newcastle | Civic and Community Hub – Customer Service, Digital Library, and Council Chamber
Highly Commended: Northern Beaches Council | Narrabeen Lagoon Boardwalk
Projects over $1.5 million – Population under 100,000
Winner: Narrandera Shire Council | Lake Talbot Water Park
Projects under $1.5 million – Population under 100,000
Winner: Griffith City Council | Village Pathways
Highly Commended: Lake Macquarie City Council | The Bernie Goodwin Memorial Reserve Project Team
Community Development
Winner: Northern Beaches Council | Housing and Homelessness Project
Highly Commended: Burwood Council | Burwood Cares – Four Phase Community Recovery and Resilience Program
Community Partnerships
Population over 100,000
Winner: Wollongong City Council | Carve a New Trail
Highly Commended: Penrith City Council | Village Café – Pop-Up Vaccination Clinics
Highly Commended: Blacktown City Council | Car Seat Program
Population under 100,000
Winner: Maitland City Council | Maitland Food Assistance Network
Highly Commended: Bellingen Shire Council | Local and Vocal – Pandemic Response Group
Connected Communities & Regions
Winner: Penrith City Council | Thursday Night Live Lockdown Series
Customer Experience
Winner: Northern Beaches Council | Library2U Northern Beaches Council Library
Highly Commended: Dubbo Regional Council | The Digitalisation of Customer Experience Touch Points
Disaster Recovery/Emergency Response Management
Population over 100,000
Winner: Shoalhaven City Council | Shoalhaven (Currowan) Bushfire Recovery Action Plan
Highly Commended: Northern Beaches Council | Manly Beach Wave Overtopping Early Warning System and Response
Population under 100,000
Winner: Bega Valley Shire Council | Disaster Resilience, Response and Recovery
Highly Commended: MidCoast Council | 2019-20 Drought Response Project
Highly Commended: Clarence Valley Council | Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Malabugilmah & Baryulgil Discrete Aboriginal Communities and Implementing Risk Mitigation Infrastructure
Environmental Leadership
Winner: Randwick City Council | Maroubra Stormwater Harvesting and Outdoor Living Classroom
Highly Commended: Singleton Council | Sustainable Future Singleton
Highly Commended: Georges River Council | Gannons Park Water Quality Improvement and Stormwater Harvesting Scheme
Innovative Leadership
Winner: City of Sydney | Innovation Methodology – Today in Your Village
Highly Commended: Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils | Procure Recycled: Paving the Way
Organisational Change
Winner: City of Canterbury Bankstown | Respond. Recover. Thrive.
People, Workplace, Wellbeing
Winner: Georges River Council | BENE-FIT 360
Highly Commended: Bega Valley Shire Council | Recovery, Resilience and Leadership Program
Special Project Initiative
Population over 100,000
Winner: City of Newcastle | COVID-19 Community & Economic Resilience Package
Highly Commended: Georges River Council | THRIVE!
Population under 100,000
Winner: MidCoast Council | Yalawanyi Ganya Office Centralisation Program Team
Highly Commended: Port Stephens Council | Revamping Rezoning
Highly Commended: Burwood Council | Print and Post Partnership
Supporting Local Enterprise
Winner: Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council | Treasure Trail Campaign for Economic Recovery
Highly Commended: Mid-Western Regional Council | Mudgee Region Business and Jobs
