Councils across Australia are engaging in innovative programs to communicate better, build stronger business and tourism, put on better events, commemorate history, and profile their people, their places and their governments to the world.
"Imagine your Council getting rid of red tape, rebranding their corporate profile on a shoe string, rebuilding the true migrant history of Australia, or bringing enough clout to bear to influence a State Government to build a railway!" Government Communications Australia (GCA) president Peter Fitz said.
Speaking to more than 100 council representatives from every State and Territory at the inaugural 2011 GCA annual conference in Canberra, Peter Fitz said Local Governments don’t have big budgets, so need the innovation and creativity the digital world affords to really engage modern communities.
"Working to modern communication and engagement standards, councils have become the backbone of grassroots governance across this nation, delivering much more than roads, rates and rubbish," he said. "They are frontline government their messages, their branding, their images and their invitations put every essential government service before people, from personal care and community safety right through to big picture business, such as large scale economic development strategies and urban renewal.
"Communication professionals are vital to the success of all these efforts, representing the real work of governments within communities."
Peter Fitz said while government communication professionals always work behind the scenes, the GCA awards aim to ensure this specific professional body is recognised, and professional communication services are given due respect for their pivotal role in building better governments.
He congratulated the inaugural winners and said communication professionals across the country could take inspiration from the projects entered in this year’s awards.
The 2011 GCA award winners are:
- Best Communication Award: Knox City Council – Get on Board public transport campaign.
- Best Internal Communications Award: City of Whittlesea – Find your balance.
- Removing Red Tape Award: Albury City Council – Red Carpet, Not Red Tape campaign.
- Best Publication: Tweed Shire Council – Tweed Link.
- Best Marketing Award: City of Wodonga – Revitalising the Bonegilla Migrant Experience.
- Best Handling of Complex Issues: Sunshine Coast Regional Council – 2010 Economic Development Plan.
- Best Branding on a shoe string: Nedlands Shire Council – Rebranding Nedlands.
- Tourism and Events Award: Corangamite
Shire Council – Craters to Coast Discovery campaign.
Find full details of this year’s winners at www.govcomms.com.au
