The Shire of East Pilbara, Western Australia, is celebrating after being awarded a Landscape Architecture Award for the Newman Town Square, as part of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) awards.
The AILA said the Square rivals its urban counterparts in terms of addressing complex social, economic and organisational considerations whilst remaining comfortably casual and reflecting the unique regional community it serves. Additionally the AILA praised the in-depth planning and design process of the Square emphasising the intense community cross-cultural consultation process and ‘cultural healing’ which re-positioned traditional and custodial owners of Newman, the Nyiyaparli and Martu respectively.
Shire President, Lynne Craigie, said, “The Square is without a doubt one of our most important pieces of public infrastructure in Newman, so we are thrilled to be recognised with a national award.
“We are particularly excited that the AILA has recognised and celebrated how the design of the Square reflects the uniqueness of our community.
“The Square is the lively heart of Newman and has been purposefully created to be an inviting and safe public space for the whole community, celebrating Newman’s diversity of culture, heritage, creativity and learning.”
The AILA is the national advocacy body representing landscape architects and promoting the profession.
The annual awards program acknowledges the growing impact of landscape architecture and recognises projects that stand out for their innovative approaches, that push the boundaries, or are considered to be of national significance.
