Welcome to this special issue of National Perspective. I am delighted to present to you the winners of The National Awards for Innovation in Local Government for 1998. These are the first Awards I have been involved with since my appointment as Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government.
After spending eleven years as an elected member of Burdekin Shire Council in North Queensland, I know first-hand how committed and innovative local government can be. I am especially pleased to announce this year’s winners and to formally acknowledge the vital role of local government in building sustainable Australian communities.
The Awards provide Councils, their staff, and their communities with formal recognition for their achievements. The challenges facing local government are complex. The innovation and expertise displayed by this year’s winners show that local government are not only rising to these challenges, but creating best practice.
I congratulate each of the winners and all 240 entrants on their initiative and vision in addressing the challenges facing their communities. These Awards go beyond recognising the achievements of the winning councils.
The National Awards for Innovation in Local Government act as an important forum for local government to share ideas, practices and experiences. All 240 entries to this year’s Awards deserve recognition, and are an important resource for councils Australia-wide. Entries covered all aspects of local government, providing a rich source of practical information on a wide range of issues and challenges. To ensure that all councils have access to this resource, all entries will be published on the National Office of Local Government webpage at www.nolg.gov.au and in booklet form.
These resources serve to foster the exchange of information between local government and to bring about opportunities for councils to work together to develop solutions to local and regional challenges.
In the future, councils can look to other councils for information and expertise on innovation in local government. I urge all councils to look to these Awards as an opportunity to gain practical insights into best practice in local government and to develop partnerships to share expertise and knowledge.
I would like to thank this year’s sponsors of the Awards for working with the National Office of Local Government to bring together and judge such an impressive collection of local government initiatives.
‘AusIndustry’, ‘Active Australia’ and ‘Bushcare’, sponsored three of this year’s categories as part of their ongoing commitment to local government activities. I would also like to thank the Institute of Municipal Management and the Australian Local Government Association for hosting this year’s Awards at their annual conference.
Congratulations to all those who participated in this year’s Awards, and I invite all Councils to participate in the 1999 Awards.
Senator the Hon. Ian Macdonald
Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government
