AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 

Award for Excellence in Sustainability

Veteran Tree Age Testing, Logan City Council.

Award for Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing

Occupational Violence and Aggression Training, City of Gold Coast - supported by South Geldard Lawyers.

Award for Excellence in Collaboration

Eat Local Movement, Scenic Rim Regional Council - supported by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.

Award for Excellence in Resourcefulness

Community Powered Resilience, Cook Shire Council - supported by King and Company Solicitors.

Award for Excellence in Teamwork

The Rise of Outback Spirit, Diamantina Shire Council - supported by Brighter Super

Award for Excellence in Community Shaping

Together We Recover - Building Community Resilience, Mareeba Shire Council - supported by Articulous.

Award for Excellence in Innovation

Burdekin Macroalgal Facility, Burdekin Shire Council - supported by King and Company Solicitors.

Above and Beyond Award

Renee Bester, Etheridge Shire Council - supported by Brighter Super

2026 Australasian Management Challenge, Queensland – proudly supported by JLT

Third Place: Western Perk, Western Downs Regional Council

Second Place: Bay to the Future, City of Moreton Bay

Winner: Strategic by Nature, Noosa Council

2026 Awards for Excellence Finalists: 

Award for Excellence in Sustainability

Douglas Chooses to Reuse, Douglas Shire Council

Sealing the Cuttaburra Missing Link, Diamantina Shire Council

Award for Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing

Drugs and Machines Are Not a Love Match, Carpentaria Shire Council

GoLD - Gangers Operational Leadership Program, Cairns Regional Council

Healthy Minds Network, Redland City Council

Award for Excellence in Collaboration

2022 Flood Recovery Program, Toowoomba Regional Council

Greenovate Materials Recovery Facility, Logan City Council, Redland City Council, City of Ipswich

Locally Led, Community Powered, Douglas Shire Council

SEQ Flying Fox Regional Guideline, Sunshine Coast Council

The Bundaberg Jobs Commitment, Bundaberg Regional Council

Award for Excellence in Teamwork

Draft Planning Scheme and Engagement, Southern Downs Regional Council

Respectful Behaviours, Fraser Coast Regional Council

You Said, We Did, Rockhampton Regional Council

Award for Excellence in Community Shaping

Mackay Riverfront Action Plan, Mackay Regional Council

The Turbine Tentacles Campaign, Whitsunday Regional Council

Towards long-term behaviour change in waste and recycling, Redland City Council

Award for Excellence in Innovation

Cemetery Safety, Grave Safety, Cairns Regional Council

Customer Identity and Access Management, Brisbane City Council

Invest Sunshine Coast Assistance Program, Sunshine Coast Council

Post-Flood Road Reopening Decision Support Tool, Logan City Council

Recreational Water Quality Platform and Management Plan, City of Gold Coast

2026 Awards for Excellence Categories

The Award Categories include:

Above and Beyond

This individual has gone ‘above and beyond’ their stated duties to deliver added service to their community or council.  This will be work for which they have not received additional remuneration and is most likely self-generated, showing genuine initiative for the benefit of the organisation and, ultimately, its customers.

Collaboration

This project or initiative involved genuine collaboration with multiple parties (internal and external to council) in order to implement more effective service delivery models for the benefit of the organisations and the community.  This may have been through an informal agreement or a more formal legal structure.

Community Shaping

This project or initiative has influenced community behaviour and practice.  It has educated and informed community opinion leading to sustainable, positive changes in the community.  There is clear evidence of its success in enhancing community wellbeing, understanding and/or awareness and in engendering behaviour change.

Innovation

This project or initiative has adopted a new and different approach, leading to improved (or new) service delivery and/or performance.  This initiative is cutting-edge and has probably not been seen in Queensland councils before, certainly not in this format.

Resourcefulness

This award category recognises projects or initiatives undertaken by Category 1 Councils (please refer to your council subscription to LGMA) that showcase the philosophy of ‘doing more with less’.  Lateral thinking, creativity, increased productivity and simplicity are the drivers of this successful project or initiative that is an aspirational model for other small councils.

Sustainability

This project or initiative has enhanced the long-term sustainability of council and/or the community.  It may be through more sustainable use of human, financial and other resources or it may be related to environmental sustainability. 

Teamwork

This team is an internal council team or a team involving multiple areas of council.  The manner in which it has utilised resources, collaborated and communicated proves the adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  It has contributed, in a measurable way, to enhanced service delivery within or external to council.

Workplace Wellbeing

Workplace health and wellbeing programmes have real potential to positively influence the health of councils’ workforces while making good business sense through increasing employee engagement and team cohesiveness and leading to reduced absenteeism and increased productivity in the long-term.  This project or initiative demonstrates evidence of fostering healthy workplace policies and supportive environments that promote healthy lifestyles that enhance positive social conditions.

View the 2026 Awards for Excellence Brochure