Local government achievements celebrated

The achievements of councils from across Australia have been given national recognition at the 38th National Awards for Local Government.

Last night, the Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, presented winners with their awards at a ceremony at the Australian Council of Local Government gala dinner – a first in the awards' history.

The National Awards for Local Government are an annual celebration of local government achievements in Australia. They highlight initiatives that are innovative, strengthen communities, and have outcomes that are replicable across the country.

Nominations fall under eleven categories including road saftey and regional growth to social cohesion and addressing violence against women and children. 

One hundred and forty-four nominations were received for this year’s awards, demonstrating how councils continue to improve the standard of living for Australians in a range of sectors.

Around half of the entries were from councils located in regional or remote areas, with just over half being small and medium sized councils servicing populations of less than 70,000.

Nearly 12,000 votes were cast from councils and the public from right across the nation. 

For further information on the National Awards for Local Government, including a full list of winners and honourable mentions, visit www.infrastructure.gov.au/NALG.

Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

“With the awards now in its 38th year, we continue to see how councils regularly go above and beyond, delivering new solutions and incredible achievements every year – and 2024 was no different.

“This year’s awards received 144 submissions from 74 councils which worked tirelessly to make a difference in their communities, so I congratulate all of them.”

Quotes attributable to Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Minister Kristy McBain:

“Local governments deliver critical day-to-day services that all Australians rely on, and without their work, our nation stops. These National Awards for Local Government provide an opportunity to shine a light on the excellent work our councils are delivering.

“I’ve been blown away – yet again – by the range of innovative and resourceful projects councils have delivered this year for their local communities. They demonstrate excellence in service delivery and I’m thrilled to celebrate their achievements.”   

The 2024 award winners are:

  • Western Australia’s Shire of Chittering for its Mentoring, Training and Career Development Program, in the Women in Local Government category
  • New South Wales’ Inner West Council for its CRC Rap Video, in the Waste Management category
  • Queensland’s City of Gold Coast for its Active School Travel Program, in the Road Safety category
  • Tasmania’s City of Launceston for its Connecting Communities – Launceston’s Public Wi-fi Network project, in the Regional Growth category
  • New South Wales’ Armidale Regional Council for Girls in Civil Program, in the Career Starter category
  • Western Australia’s City of Stirling for its Trackless Tram Trial, in the Productivity through Infrastructure category
  • Victoria’s City of Greater Dandenong for its Wominjeka project, in the Indigenous Recognition category
  • Western Australia’s City of Gosnells for its Tackling Flood Prevention and Response through Smart Engineering Solutions at the City of Gosnells project, in the Disaster Readiness and Recovery category
  • Victoria’s Wyndham City Council for its LIT – A Light Experience to Build Audiences for New Arts Experiences in the West project, in the Creativity and Culture category
  • Northern Territory’s Alice Springs Town Council for its Diwali Night Market, in the Cohesive Communities category
  • Western Australia’s City of Greater Geraldton for its Active Bystander Training – Speaking out Against Disrespect project, in the Addressing Violence against Women and their Children category

An additional 13 councils were also awarded honourable mentions under these 11 categories, recognising the high quality of submissions this year.