Finalists

The NSW Local Government Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and promote innovation and continuous improvement within NSW local government. Through this platform we demonstrate the excellent work being undertaken by NSW councils and showcase the work throughout the state.

All winners will be announced at the LG Awards Dinner on Thursday 4 June 2026. Click here to book your tickets.

Asset and Infrastructure

Projects over $1.5 million - Population Over 100,000
Blacktown City Council | Roundabout at Elara Boulevard and Northbourne Drive
City of Newcastle | Newcastle Art Gallery Expansion
Georges River Council | Donnelly Park Foreshore Protection and Environmental Enhancement
Inner West Council | GreenWay
Inner West Council | Gulgadya Inclusive Playground at Richard Murden Reserve
Lake Macquarie City Council | Hunter Sports Centre Kaiyu Nungkiliko
Penrith City Council | Regatta Park Community Recreation Precinct
Rous County Council | Enhancing Northern Rivers water security integration
Sutherland Shire Council | Kirrawee Library+
The Hills Shire Council | Livvi's Place Playground Extension & Amenities

Projects over $1.5 million - Population Under 100,000
Broken Hill City Council | E.P. O’Neill Memorial Park Redevelopment – Netball Precinct
Byron Shire Council | Sandhills Wetlands
City of Canada Bay | Rhodes Recreation Centre
Clarence Valley Council | Yamba Library and Community Centre
Hawkesbury City Council | Reconstruction of Thomas James Bridge
Kempsey Shire Council | Kempsey Regional Saleyards Infrastructure Upgrade
Lismore City Council | Lismore Skatepark
Liverpool Plains Shire Council | Quirindi Aquatic Centre
MidCoast Council | Manning River Underbore: Engineering Resilience Post-Flood Recovery
Orange City Council | Brabham Way (Southern Feeder Road)

Blacktown City Council | Australia's First Fully Electric Beavertail Truck
Blacktown City Council | City Fleet Transition Roadmap
Burwood Council | Vacant to Vibrant
City of Newcastle | Throsby Creek Connected Pathways – Islington Footbridge Renewal
Randwick City Council | Woomera Reserve Playground, Outdoor Gym and Basketball Court
Wingecarribee Shire Council | Murraural 4K Playspace
Wollondilly Shire Council | Ride, Climb, Play: Appin Park Adventure

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Community Development

Population Over 100,000
Blacktown City Council | Blacktown City Access and Inclusion Forum
Blacktown City Council | Inclusive Sports Network in Blacktown
Campbelltown City Council | Time to Shine Seniors Festival
Cumberland City Council | Seniors Club Cumberland
Georges River Council | Community Impact Series
Northern Beaches Council | Intergenerational Connections: Belonging, Wellbeing and Community Impact
Penrith City Council | Penrith Sector Connect
Randwick City Council | Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan Development
Sutherland Shire Council | Navigating the New Aged Care Act

Population Under 100,000
City of Canada Bay | Youth Connect Program
Glen Innes Severn Council | Youth Booth
Kiama Municipal Council | Youth-Led, Community Strong: SENTRAL Youth Service
Singleton Council | Access and Inclusion Program
Waverley Council | Perfect Strangers
Willoughby City Council | Dance to the Nines Over 18 Disability Dance

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Community Partnerships

Population Over 100,000
Blacktown City Council | Alpha Park Pantry Connect
Central Coast Council | Carp to Croc - From Problem to Partnership
City of Newcastle | Down the Park – Live, Loud and Local!
Inner West Council | Inner West Pride Centre
Ku-ring-gai Council | Ku-ring-gai Tiny Forest - Innovative Urban Forest Partnership
Lake Macquarie City Council | Play Well
Northern Beaches Council | Emergency Planning Priority Populations Pilot
Penrith City Council | Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Service Expo
Sutherland Shire Council | Culturally Inclusive Water Safety and Aquatic Initiatives
Wollongong City Council | Companion Animal Wellbeing Programs

Population Under 100,000
Bellingen Shire Council | Church Street Chess Tables Project
City of Canada Bay | Partnerships Powering Her Game
Hawkesbury City Council | Event Passports
Lane Cove Council | Centre Stage at Pottery Lane Performance Space
Temora Shire Council | A Community Wide Approach to Resilience
Walgett Shire Council | Redesigning Engagement for Real Participation
Waverley Council | Strategy to Combat Antisemitism
Wollondilly Shire Council | Thirlmere Festival of Steam - Partnership on Track
Wollondilly Shire Council | Wollondilly School Holiday Partnership Program

Proudly sponsored by:

Customer Experience

Population Over 100,000
Bayside Council | Be Better for Bayside
Blacktown City Council | Food and Garden Waste Project (CX Team)
Central Coast Council | Business Mindsets and Human Centred Design Toolkit
Georges River Council | A Customer-Centred Sport Framework
Georges River Council | Closing the Customer Feedback Loop
Ku-ring-gai Council | Ku-ring-gai's Digital Transformation
Northern Beaches Council | Manly Library 24/7
Randwick City Council | Do You Know Where Your Bin Is?
Sutherland Shire Council | Back to the Brilliant Basics – Uplifting CX

Population Under 100,000
Dubbo Regional Council | Cemetery Improvement Project
Forbes Shire Council | Amazing Visitor Services
Maitland City Council | “Connected Customer Experience” Project
MidCoast Council | Customer Request Transformation
North Sydney Council | Seamless by Design: A Customer-First Transformation
Waverley Council | External Voice of the Customer Program
Wollondilly Shire Council | Wollondilly Customer Experience and Enhancement Program

Proudly sponsored by:

Emerging Leader

Bland Shire Council | Joshua Jongma
Cowra Council | Gnanaguru Baskaran
Liverpool City Council | Susana Freitas
Murray River Council | Matthew Sherman
Port Stephens Council | Brooke Tisdell
Randwick City Council | Emily Strautins
Shellharbour City Council | Stephanie Luo
Singleton Council | Julia Weir
Strathfield Council | Ben Michel
Sutherland Shire Council | Lia Fourtsadakis
Wollondilly Shire Council | Nafizul Akash

Environmental Leadership

Population Over 100,000
Bayside Council | Project Planet Environmental Leadership
Blacktown City Council | Leadership Initiative - Climate Related Financial Disclosures
Blacktown City Council | Sustainable Building Design Objectives
City of Newcastle | Solar Neighbourhoods: Community Solar and Battery Program
Inner West Council | Caring for Country - Strengthening Urban Biodiversity
Penrith City Council | Penrith Wild Photo Competition 2025-26
Randwick City Council | The Saturday Circle - Repair & Share
Sutherland Shire Council | I Love a Clean Sutherland Shire

Population Under 100,000
City of Canada Bay | Transforming Litter Prevention
Goulburn Mulwaree | Transforming Resource Recovery Locally Through ReUse Goulburn
Lane Cove Council | Seed Library - Planting the Seed
Lismore City Council | Rural Landholder Initiative
Maitland City Council | Delivering the Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2030
Upper Hunter Shire Council | Sustainable Schools Odyssey
Wollondilly Shire Council | Advocating for an Even Better Future

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Festivals and Community Events

Population Over 150,000
Blacktown City Council | Warami Mittigar NAIDOC concert
City of Newcastle | New Annual Festival 2025
Fairfield City Council | National Lion Dance Competition
Georges River Council | Uncontained Arts Festival
Inner West Council | Creative Toolbox Symposium
Lake Macquarie City Council | Living Smart Festival
Liverpool City Council | 2025 Motherland African Festival
Sutherland Shire Council | Jannali Moonrise Festival
The Hills Shire Council | Echoes Bella Vista Farm
Wollongong City Council | Culture Mix

Population Between 50,000 to 150,000
Camden Council | Boots n' Beats Camden Country Music Festival
City of Canada Bay | Ferragosto 2025: Safe, Inclusive, Impactful
City of Wagga Wagga | Festival of W 2025
Maitland City Council | Luminous
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | Repair Fair 2025
Randwick City Council | Culture Vibes: Global Eats and Beats
Tamworth Regional Council | Fiesta La Peel
Tamworth Regional Council | Tamworth Country Music Festival
Waverley Council | Waverley Community Living Program 40 Years Celebration
Woollahra Municipal Council | Woollahra Festival 2025

Population Under 50,000
Armidale Regional Council | The Big Chill Festival
Broken Hill City Council | Beyond the Dust Street Festival
Forbes Shire Council | Street Dreams
Hilltops Council | Multicultural Cherry Fiesta
Lane Cove Council | Celebrating 70 years of Libraries
Lane Cove Council | Lane Cove Festival @ Sydney Fringe
Mid-Western Regional Council | Flavours of Mudgee
Mosman Municipal Council | 2025 Festival of Mosman
Parkes Shire Council | Parkes Elvis Festival
Upper Lachlan Shire Council | Roving Art Show & Arts Culture Heritage Trail

Proudly sponsored by:

 

First Nations Community Partnership

Population Over 100,000
Blacktown City Council | Dharug-led Design Panel
Campbelltown City Council | Deliver Better Outcomes
Campbelltown City Council | Ngarandi Nguradha (Deep Listening to Country) Exhibition
Georges River Council | Truth-Telling Partnerships with Aboriginal People
Inner West Council | First Nations Meet the Buyer Day
Ku-ring-gai Council | Banks Track & Boardwalk Indigenous Storytelling Experience
Lake Macquarie City Council | Together in Culture: Community Connection Day
Northern Beaches Council, Lane Cove Council, North Sydney Council, Ku-ring-gai Council & Willoughby Municipal Council | The Aboriginal Heritage Office - Councils Partnership
Penrith City Council | Caring for Country Program
Randwick City Council | 10 Years of Koojay Corroboree

Population Under 100,000
Coffs Harbour City Council | The Yandaarra Aunty Grace Roberts Community Awards
Port Stephens Council | Caring for Koala Country with Traditional Fire
Tamworth Regional Council | Mara Ngali Partnership Agreement
Walgett Shire Council | Co-Designing Solutions with First Nations Partnerships
Waverley Council | Walking in Two Worlds
Woollahra Municipal Council | Our Inaugural First Nations Art Commission

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Innovative Leadership

Population Over 100,000
Camden Council | Camden CARES: Creating Community Leadership for Future Resilience
Campbelltown City Council | AI Factory - Blueprint for Scalable AI Adoption
City of Canterbury Bankstown | Aspiring Leaders Program
Cumberland City Council | Creating an Integrated Future for Cumberland
Georges River Council | Child Protection Reporting Framework
Inner West Council | Transforming Planning Engagement Through Interactive Mapping
Ku-ring-gai Council | PAW (Pets are Welcome) Project
Penrith City Council | St Marys Town Centre Master Plan
Randwick City Council | La Perouse Museum Transformation
Sutherland Shire Council | Innovative Leadership Communications to Inform, Engage and Educate

Population Under 100,000
Blue Mountains City Council | Project Management and Governance Framework
Burwood Council | From Idle to Income
City of Canada Bay | Innovation in Governance Through Reporting Children's Voices
Dubbo Regional Council | Leadership Development Program
Maitland City Council | Service Planning Workshops: A Collaborative Organisational Approach
North Sydney Council | Empowered People, Informed Decisions
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | Leadership Development Program
Walgett Shire Council | Remote Council Leadership Reinvented - Solutions-Led Leadership
Warrumbungle Shire Council | Butt Out of Our Towns Initiative
Wollondilly Shire Council | Our Leadership Charter Initiative

Proudly sponsored by:

Partnerships and Collaboration

Population Over 100,000
Camden Council | ai CHAT LINC
Central Coast Council | Gosford Regional Library MakerSpace
City of Newcastle | Future Fit Internship Program
City of Newcastle | Solar Neighbourhoods: Community Solar and Battery Program
Cumberland City Council | Asbestos Incidents in the Community Workshops
Georges River Council | Seniors Festival: Curated Collaboration and Community Connection
Northern Beaches Council | Business Concierge: Let's Chat Business
Randwick City Council | Scores on Doors Partnership Implementation
Randwick City Council | WIRES Native Animal Recovery Centre
Wollongong City Council | 2025 World Triathlon Championship Finals

Population Under 100,000
Gunnedah Shire Council | Planting for a World Free of MND
Temora Shire Council | Enabling Unique Housing Opportunities - Skypark Estate
Walgett Shire Council | Community Asset Reborn as Housing – Kookaburra Court
Warrumbungle Shire Council | Working Together for Healthy Warrumbungles
Waverley Council | Sunnakiah (Council / Joel Adler / Jewish Climate Network)

Proudly sponsored by: 

People, Workplace, Wellbeing

Population Over 100,000
Central Coast Council | Coast Engage
City of Canterbury Bankstown | myhr – Human Resources Information System Implementation Project
City of Canterbury Bankstown | Purpose in Practice
City of Newcastle | Co-Creating Newcastle
City of Parramatta | Parramatta Xchange
Cumberland City Council | A Fairer Future
Georges River Council | One Goal, One Centralised Sports Team
Penrith City Council | Corporate Games: Connecting Teams Through Workplace Wellbeing
Randwick City Council | Flourish Women's Mentoring Program
Wollongong City Council | Zero Aggression Program

Population Under 100,000
Armidale Regional Council | Building Futures: Growing a Diverse Workforce
City of Canada Bay | Leadership Pathways Program
Clarence Valley Council | Health and Wellbeing Expo
Forbes Shire Council | Healthy, Safe, Connected Workplace
North Sydney Council | Personal Best
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | Entry Pathways Program
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council | Qooee! Reward & Recognition Program
Tweed Shire Council | Shifting the Needle Toward Respect and Safety
Upper Lachlan Shire Council | “Got Your Back” Proactive Injury Management Program
Woollahra Municipal Council | Injury Reduction Pilot Program

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Risk Management

City of Sydney | Business Unit Fraud and Corruption Risk Register
Cumberland City Council | Legal Compliance Framework
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council | From Framework to Frontline: Risk-Aware Culture
Randwick City Council | s7.12 Development Contributions - Interactive Dashboard
Rous County Council | New Safety Program Implemented: BeSafe
Walgett Shire Council | Reactive to Ready: Remote Disaster Readiness

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Special Project Initiative

Population Over 100,000
Camden Council | The Social Wellbeing Report, Snapshot and Dashboards
Camden Council | Women and Key Local Issues Discussion Paper
City of Newcastle | Accessible Architecture at Newcastle Art Gallery
Cumberland City Council | Opportunities Unlocked: Cumberland Youth Employment Expo
Liverpool City Council | Liverpool City Centre Public Domain Technical Manual
Penrith City Council | From Manual to Meaningful - Transforming Contamination Management
Randwick City Council | Town Hall Takeover
Sutherland Shire Council | Principal Sustainability Summit
Sutherland Shire Council | Spring Clean Blitz
Wollondilly Shire Council & Penrith City Council | Artificial Intelligence in Development Assessment

Population Under 100,000
Byron Shire Council | Sandhills Wetlands
Central Darling Shire Council | Maintaining Post Office and Banking Services at Ivanhoe
Clarence Valley Council | Accelerated Development Application Service
Eurobodalla Shire Council | The Job Shop
Gwydir Shire Council | Produce to Pavement – The 100km Dream
Lismore City Council | Institutionalising Resilience Through Portfolio Governance
Strathfield Council | Strathfield 140: A Staff-Led Cultural Legacy
Waverley Council | Local Creative Collaborations
Wollondilly Shire Council | Tourism Connect
Yass Valley Council | Workplace Change Proposal

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Supporting Local Enterprise

Camden Council | I AM CAMDEN
Fairfield City Council | The Canleys
Inner West Council | Inner West Trail Blazers
MidCoast Council | Agritourism Product Development and Mentoring Program
Waverley Council | Charing is Caring Destination Marketing Campaign

Proudly sponsored by:

 

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