National Awards for Local Government
The National Awards for Local Government Program is currently under review.
It is anticipated that the 2021 NALG will open for applications in the third quarter of 2021.
Message from the Hon Mark Coulton, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government
The Australian Government values and trusts Local Governments to deliver vital services and secure quality of life for their communities. Councils provide frontline services and when people want action in their community, local government is often the first door they knock on.
2020 has certainly been a year of great challenges. We have seen droughts, bushfires, floods, and now a global pandemic and recession. Delivering quality services to local communities around Australia has never been more important.
For the past 34 years, the annual National Awards for Local Government have showcased the best local government projects and demonstrated local governments' enthusiasm to try new way of delivering for their residents.
The National Awards for Local Government support projects that add value to communities and provide tangible benefits to residents. The awards celebrate projects that deliver better outcomes for communities and demonstrate best practice. These are often projects with the potential to change how councils across the country deliver for their communities.
So many high-quality entries in each of the nine categories were submitted this year, which is a reflection of the passion our local governments have for what they do.
I congratulate each category winner for their outstanding commitment and courage to forge creative solutions that best suit their communities' needs. Each deserves celebration, especially given the calibre of competition. It can be difficult for councils get the recognition they deserve beyond the shire boundary, which is why the National Awards for Local Government are so important.
Among the category winners, some powerful entries will inspire new ways of supporting local communities. This year, two National Awards for Excellence in Local Government Highly Commended Winners were awarded: City of Busselton's (WA) “Busselton Margaret River Airport Development Project” and the “Youth United Against Family Violence” project in City of Greater Dandenong (VIC).
I am proud to present the inaugural Minister Coulton Award for Progressive Community Leadership to the Shire of Manjimup for their “Manjimup Transformed—Aspirational Leadership” project, which has seen over $150 million of new investment flow into the community, through private and public infrastructure.
The entry with the most wide-ranging contribution to regional growth is this year's winner of the National Award for Excellence in Local Government, the “Entrepreneurial Capacity Building Program” by City of Mandurah.
To each winner; each local government; each Australian community; my sincere thanks for your hard work, your ongoing enthusiasm and your leadership. This local leadership will be critical as we work together to recover and thrive in the years to come.
2020 Top tier Awards Announced
The Minister for Local Government, the Hon Mark Coulton MP, announced the top tier awards of the 2020 National Awards for Local Government on 17 November 2020 at the ALGA Special Recovery Conference.
The 2020 winners are listed below.
Details of the National Award winner, category winners and highly commended projects are in the 2020 National Awards for Local Government Winners’ Book.
- Winner's book PDF: 2979 KB
The 2020 National Award for Local Government Excellence
Winner: City of Mandurah, WA
The 2020 National Award for Local Government Excellence—Highly Commended
Winner: City of Greater Dandenong, VIC
Project: Youth United Against Family Violence
Winner: City of Busselton, WA
Project: Busselton Margaret River Airport Development Project
2020 Minister's Award for Progressive Community Leadership
Winner: Shire of Manjimup, WA
2020 Category Award Winners
The Hon Mark Coulton, MP, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government announced the winners of the 2020 National Awards for Local Government on 24 July 2020.
The full details of the winners' projects can be found below.
About the Awards
The National Awards for Local Government are an annual celebration of the best Australian local government achievements. The Awards highlight innovative and resourceful solutions implemented by local governments to make a difference to their local communities.
Administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, and selected by independent expert panels, the National Awards for Local Government promote the significant role of the local government sector in delivering targeted quality services to Australians in urban and regional communities. Through the promotion of excellence in service delivery, the National Awards for Local Government showcase community solutions that directly respond to community need, overcome barriers and feature new, advanced and creative thinking. There are nine award categories that demonstrate how the best of local government is delivering for its communities. These categories reflect the kind of community outcomes that are creating stronger, resilient and cohesive communities.
2020 Category Winners
- Arts Animates – creating vibrant and cohesive communities through the Arts DOCX: 309 KB
Winner: City of Wanneroo, WA
Project: DJ Course: Increasing local economic opportunity and inclusion
- Boosting Productivity through Infrastructure DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: City of Busselton, WA
Project: Busselton Margaret River Airport Development Project
- Contributing to Regional Growth DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: City of Mandurah, WA
- Disability Access and Inclusion DOCX: 309 KB
Winner: City of Sydney, NSW
Project: Inclusive and Accessible Public Domain Policy and Guidelines
- Excellence in Road Safety DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, NSW
- Multicultural Australia – Cohesive Communities DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: Sunshine Coast Regional Council, QLD
Project: Migrant Work Ready—Pathways to Belonging and Employment
- Addressing Violence Against Women and their Children DOCX: 312 KB
Winner: City of Greater Dandenong, VIC
Project: Youth United Against Family Violence
- Promoting Indigenous Recognition DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: Glenelg Shire Council, VIC
Project: Glenelg Aboriginal Partnership National Reconciliation Week
- The Susan Grace Benny Award DOCX: 310 KB
Winner: Brimbank City Council, VIC
Project: Women's Leadership Programs
Further Information
Monitor this website for information about the upcoming application process for the 2021 National Awards for Local Government and key dates.
If you require any additional information, please email awards@infrastructure.gov.au.