The exceptional achievements of eight local governments from across Australia have been given national recognition today, being announced as the category winners at the National Awards for Local Government.
The eight award winners for 2021 are:
- Northern Beaches Council (NSW) for its Library2U project, in the Creativity and Culture Award category
- City of Melville (WA) for its Smart City, Smart Grid project, in the Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure Award category
- Whyalla City Council (SA) for its Whyalla’s Iconic Circular Jetty project, in the Contributing to Regional Growth Award category
- City of Salisbury (SA) for its Cohesive Salisbury project, in the Cohesive Communities Award category
- Paroo Shire Council (QLD) for its Blue Light Learner Driver Program project, in the Excellence in Road Safety Award category
- Cumberland Council (NSW) for its Cumberland Domestic and Family Violence Action Plan project, in the Addressing Violence against Women and their Children Award category
- City of Newcastle & Newcastle Art Gallery (NSW) for its WARWAR: The Art of the Torres Strait project, in the Promoting Indigenous Recognition Award category
- ALGWA (Victoria Branch) for its Mentoring for Success – supporting newly elected women Councillors project, in the Women in Local Government Award category
Assistant Minister for Local Government Kevin Hogan congratulated the winners, and all nominating local councils, for their incredible projects and the positive outcomes achieved in their communities.
“These awards have been running for 35 years now, with councils never ceasing to go above and beyond and amaze the nation with new incredible achievements every year, and 2021 is no different,” Assistant Minister Hogan said.
“This year’s awards received 110 submissions from councils for a range of impactful projects addressing the eight categories of awards, each demonstrating innovation and ingenuity to make a difference in their communities.
“And for the first time this year the nominations were open to public vote, which was really well received with over 6,000 votes being cast to determine our winners.
“What’s clear is the hard work and dedication of our councils, to overcome barriers such as bushfires, floods and COVID-19 to adopt new ideas that deliver remarkable outcomes for their communities.
“The projects nominated for this year’s awards demonstrate how local governments continue to raise the standard of living for Australians, from backing the arts and cultural experiences we know and love, right through to saving lives by improving road safety.
“I congratulate all the category winners in this year’s awards for their outstanding achievements, I can’t wait to see their projects showcased to even more people across the nation.
“I also want to thank and congratulate all nominated councils for their outstanding work and determination, and to the communities who hopped online to vote.”
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, which is administering the awards, will work with each winner to develop a promotional awards package to be used throughout 2022.
The National Awards for Local Government started in 1986 and are established as the premier awards program for local government.
