For the first time since 2012, a single council has won more than one Excellence Award at the NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) Awards.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council, together with project partners Te Arawa Lakes Trust, was today announced as the Supreme Award winner of the McGredy Winder 2019 SOLGM Local Government Excellence Awards for the joint Te Arawa Catfish Killas project.

It is one of three categories council received a SOLGM Local Government Excellence Award for. The other two awards won are: 
• BERL Award for Collaborative Government Action for the Kopeopeo Canal remediation work. 
• Te Puni Kōkiri Award for Bicultural Leadership for the Te Arawa Catfish Killas project.

Chief Executive Fiona McTavish said that the wins were recognition of council’s hard work towards achieving the best possible outcomes for our community.

“The projects in each of the categories provide excellent examples of what can be achieved when we work together with tangata whenua, agencies and community partners. We are really pleased to celebrate this success and the success of putting our values into action for the community.

“The SOLGM awards provide recognition and illustrate best practice nationally. It felt particularly important this year as we are all working incredibly hard for our communities through this unprecedented COVID-19 situation.”

The Catfish Killas programme was praised by the judges as an inspirational example of managing biosecurity through co-management with Māori. It’s a sentiment that Te Arawa Lakes Trust Environment Manager, Nicola Douglas shares.

“This win acknowledges that true collaboration between mana whenua and local government can achieve great things,” Ms Douglas said.

Fiona McTavish also acknowledged the other nominations and winners in the six categories, in particular Rotorua Lakes Council for their category win for the Rotorua Child Equity Programme Pilot.

“It is fantastic to celebrate the success of local government projects across New Zealand and thanks to SOLGM for making that possible. Of course I am particularly thrilled to see success in our own rohe, so well done to the regional council and local council nominations and winners this year,” Ms McTavish said

Read more about the SOLGM Award wins on the SOLGM website . 

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