11 June 2015

Communities shine in Local Government New Zealand EXCELLENCE Awards

New Zealand’s councils have again demonstrated the high levels of service they provide to communities, as finalists are announced for the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

The awards, now in their second year, recognise and celebrate the outstanding leadership role local government plays within communities.

LGNZ President Lawrence Yule said local government is the lifeblood of New Zealand’s communities and makes contributions to people’s lives on a daily basis.

“Through these EXCELLENCE Awards we are able to demonstrate the value we provide to community, economic development, infrastructure and the environment.”

Local authorities were invited to submit in four categories: Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Impact; MartinJenkins EXCELLENCE Award for Local Economic Contribution; the EQC EXCELLENCE Award for Infrastructure Project of the Year; and the Air New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Local Environmental Impact. LGNZ will also present the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government.

Mr Yule said it was very gratifying to see the number of smaller councils featuring among the 15 finalists.

Judges for the Awards are: former Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast, Chair of EQC Sir Maarten Wevers and The New Zealand Initiative’s Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich.

The 15 finalists for the LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards 2015 are:

Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Impact

· Auckland Council (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development): Auckland Lantern Festival – Highly-rated festival, now in its 16th year, which draws increasing audiences and is successful in helping raise awareness of different cultures in Auckland.

· Grey District Council: Identity Project – An extensive project designed to grow confidence and pride in the Grey district. Included rebranding, a ‘real stories’ campaign and 150th celebration event.

· Kawerau District Council: Neighbourhood of Healthy Homes – The initiative provided a programme to help residents reduce energy use and costs and improve housing maintenance, resulting in safer healthier homes. Another driver was to increase neighbourhood connectedness.

· Timaru District Council (Aoraki Development Business and Tourism): Gigatown Timaru – Initiative to promote Timaru as a digitally savvy town, using the Gigatown competition to highlight this objective and encourage community buy-in for ultra-fast broadband.

· Waipa District Council: Let’s Get Engaged – This project used new media in an inviting, innovative and entertaining manner to inform and get feedback from the community about the challenges facing the district and the need for big decisions to be made about the future.

· Whangarei District Council: Hatea Loop Project – A 4.2 kilometre loop multi-use trail around the upper harbour which provides exercise and outdoor activities for all age and ability groups.

MartinJenkins EXCELLENCE Award for Local Economic Contribution

· Rotorua Lakes Council: Inner City Revitalisation – A project to revitalise Rotorua’s inner city, based on strong engagement with businesses and the communities of Rotorua.

· Waikato Regional Council: Waikato Economic Development Strategy – Establishment of an industry-led governance group, including iwi representatives, to establish the Waikato Means Business economic development strategy.

EQC EXCELLENCE Award for Infrastructure Project of the Year

· Christchurch City Council: Hagley Oval – Partnership between the Council and Canterbury Cricket to provide Christchurch with an international quality cricket ground in time for the Cricket World Cup.

· Horowhenua District Council: Tokomaru Water Treatment Plant Upgrade – The Council was faced with a $2m-$3m approach to providing Tokomaru residents with clean water, which could not be undertaken for at least ten years. An alternative solution was found which could be implemented swiftly and at a fraction of the cost.

· Napier City Council: Filter Waste Water – the biggest infrastructure project undertaken by the Council, establishing a successful biological trickling filter waste plant. The project was managed internally and delivered well within budget and on time.

· Western Bay of Plenty District Council: WestLink – A collaborative road maintenance strategy between the Council and NZ Transport Agency which has improved levels of service and saved $50 million over seven years.

Air New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Environmental Impact

· Auckland Council: Wai Care – A collaborative programme throughout Auckland encouraging citizens to form groups and monitor local waterways and catchments.

· Grey District Council: Cobden Aromahana Sanctuary and Recreation Area – Restoration of Cobden wetlands and development of a former dump site into a recreational asset.

· Hawkes Bay Regional Council: Hawke’s Bay Urban Biodiversity Programme (HUB) – a possum maintenance programme covering 15,860 hectares across Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, increasing biodiversity and community knowledge of the value and ease of doing your own pest control.

The winners will be announced at the annual LGNZ conference, to be held in Rotorua from 19-21 July 2015.

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