Local Government Excellence Awards

Local Government Professionals NSW revealed the winners of its Oscars for local councils earlier this month. Full list below.

 President LG Professionals, NSW Barry Smith said the awards recognised and showcased the pinnacle of excellence in the local government sector in NSW and significant achievements by NSW councils over the past year as well as the outstanding professional development achievements of our members.

“Local government works hard for the communities in New South Wales, and we were thrilled that the Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister joined us in acknowledging the sector’s professionalism and dedication,” Mr Smith said. 

Excellence in Innovative Leadership and Management

Recognising the use of superior management and leadership skills to achieve outstanding benefits for the organisation and/or for the community.

Winner: Tweed Shire Council

Highly Commended: Lachlan Shire Council, City of Ryde Council

Community Partnerships and Collaboration

Recognising genuine and effective partnerships and collaborations that have resulted in better outcomes for council, as well as initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to working with and/or in the community to achieve positive outcomes.

Population over 15,000

Winner: Port Stephens Council

Highly Commended: Blacktown City Council, Lake Macquarie City Council

Population under 15,000

Winner: Warrumbungle Shire Council

Excellence in Local Economic Contribution

Recognising innovation in leadership and management for a project/initiative that has enhanced the economic wellbeing of their local government area and increased the value proposition to ratepayers and residents, in parts or all, of their city, town, district or region.

Winner: Liverpool City Council

Highly Commended: Lake Macquarie City Council

Excellence in Environmental Leadership and Sustainability

Recognising dedication to sustainability as evidenced by the implementation of corporate process improvements, projects or initiatives that demonstrate significant real or potential benefit to the environment.

Population over 100,000

Winner: Campbelltown City Council

Highly Commended: Canterbury-Bankstown Council, Central Coast Council

Population under 100,000

Winner: City of Canada Bay Council

Highly Commended: Byron Shire Council

Special Project Initiative

Recognising leadership where an individual, team or council has developed a concept or practice that significantly improves the business in which they work, development of processes or practices that has had a major impact on the organisation or its customers.
Population over 15,000

Winner: Lake Macquarie City Council

Highly Commended: Central Coast Council, North Sydney Council

Population under 15,000

Winner: Hunter’s Hill Council

Excellence in Community Development and Services

Recognising leadership in community services as evidenced by way of corporate process improvements, a particular project initiative, innovation in management and leadership practices or demonstrated practicality and resourcefulness.

Winner: Canterbury-Bankstown Council

Highly Commended: Cumberland Council

Excellence in Asset Management and Infrastructure Initiatives

Recognising excellence in Asset Management as evidenced by the implementation of corporate process improvements, projects or initiatives that demonstrate significant real or potential benefit in asset management.

Winner: Campbelltown City Council

Highly Commended: Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Wentworth Shire council

Excellence in Risk Management

Recognising the community and/or Council benefits (strategic, operational or financial) delivered through the identification, control and mitigation of risks within a council’s unique risk profile.

Winner: Wollongong City Council

Highly Commended: City of Canada Bay Council

Excellence in Creative Communities

Recognising excellence in bring together communities through art and cultural creative projects.

Population over 15,000

Winner: Campbelltown City Council

Highly Commended: Bega Valley Shire Council, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Population under 15,000

Winner: Narrabri Shire Council

Excellence in Operational and Management Effectiveness

The Excellence in Operational and Management Effectiveness Award is open to all NSW councils who have participated in the Australasian LG Performance Excellence Program.

Winner: Willoughby City Council

Dux of the Governance Intensive Course

The Governance in Local Government Intensive Course has been developed to enhance the governance knowledge and skills of professionals working in the local government sector.

Dux: Christine Priest, Wagga Wagga City Council

Dux of the Finance Intensive Course

Covering all aspects of local government finance this one week intensive residential course will benefit new finance managers, senior accounting and accounting officers or anyone with a financial background wishing to expand their knowledge of local government finance.

Dux: Tracy Wilde, Sutherland Shire Council

NSW Environmental Excellence Awards

Nominations are open for the NSW Environmental Excellence Awards, which celebrate councils and council staff who have done outstanding environmental work in the state.

Local Government NSW President Keith Rhoades said local government was the closest level of government to communities and had the most direct influence on local environments.

“But what is often forgotten is that local government is one of the biggest sectors in the NSW economy,” Mr Rhoades said.

“Councils are responsible for maintaining and upgrading $142 billion in infrastructure and land assets, including parks, reserves, roads, community facilities and water and sewerage systems.

He said the sector employed more than 50,000 people and injected $11 billion into the state’s economy every year.

“Combine that economic power with a commitment to environmental sustainability and best practice, and you have a sector making a very real contribution to the environment in NSW.”

There are 15 award categories, including the prestigious Local Sustainability Award for overall council performance and the Louise Petchell Memorial Award for Individual Sustainability awarded to an individual.

They will be announced on October 11 at the University of Technology Sydney and they cover projects and programs from January 2016 to May 2017.

The prize for overall winner of the Local Sustainability Award is an overseas study tour or a professional development program for staff, valued at $10,000. 

Individual councils, county councils and regional council groupings are all eligible to enter, and compete against similarly sized councils in one of three levels: populations of less than 30,000; between 30,000 and 70,000; and more than 70,000. 

Nomination applications close on 31 May, with further details available on LGNSW’s website

National Reconciliation Week funding

Councils have until the end of this week to apply for federal government funding to support celebrations for National Reconciliation Week, which runs from May 27 to June 3.

Celebrations are particularly poignant this year with the upcoming 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and the 25th anniversary of the 1992 Mabo High Court decision.

The funding round closes on Friday 21 April 2017.

President of the Australian Local Government Association, David O’Loughlin said councils can use the funding to partner with a local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community organisation to mark these two historic events through activities that honour and respect their significance to all Australians.

“It is a great compliment to the sector that the Turnbull Government has chosen local councils as partners in celebrating this national milestone,” Mr O’Loughlin said. “I would hate to see any council miss out so I urge all councils to submit applications for this funding via the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.”

Bill Shorten to address local councils

Labor leader Bill Shorten will address this year’s National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) on Tuesday 20 June in Canberra.

This week, the Opposition came out in support of ALGA’s call to end the freeze on Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) indexation agreeing that local government funding has been under pressure following the 2014-15 freeze. The party called on the Government to rule out any extension of the FAGs indexation freeze beyond 30 June 2017.  

The NGA is the peak annual event for local government, attracting in excess of 800 Mayors and Councillors each year. Themed Building Tomorrow’s Communities, this year’s NGA will be held from 18 – 21 June.