Twelve months of innovative and flexible thinking paid off in a big way for Burwood Council at local government’s night of nights.
Council achieved peer recognition taking home two Highly Commended in the categories of Community Development, and Special Projects Initiatives at the 2021 New South Wales Local Government Excellence Awards.
Launched in March 2020 as a direct response to the impact that the COVID-19 Pandemic was having on the community, the highly successful Burwood Cares Program was nominated for achievement in the Community Development category.
Some of the wellbeing and economic outcomes that can be attributed to the Burwood Cares program include a 150 percent increase in Council’s engagement with the community, 80 percent increase in housing support for rough-sleepers, 85 percent increase in community programming and over $1.1million in financial relief measures provided to residents and businesses.
The night’s other success was in the Special Projects Initiatives category through the innovative Burwood Print and Post Partnership that saw Council partner with Revenue New South Wales last year. A key aim of this pilot program was to streamline the way fines were issued to customers within the Burwood local government area.
Some of the key improvements from the program included improved customer experience, minimising workplace safety risks, and removing administration burdens. It also allowed staff to spend more time in the field during their daily work.
Mayor, John Faker was understandably delighted with the result of both programs.
“It’s fantastic to receive recognition from our peers. Both of these projects arose because of an identified need within the community.
“I would like to congratulate all the dedicated staff involved in delivering innovative and effective services for the Burwood community.”
