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Collaboration the key feature of 2022 LGFA Taituarā Excellence Awards®
Local authorities' strengths in partnering and collaborating in order to achieve great outcomes for the community is a key feature of the entries into this year’s LGFA Taituarā Excellence Awards.
Of the 42 entries submitted this year, 26 tell stories of collaboration between councils, between councils and central government, and councils and the community. This includes entries in five of the seven categories.
“It has long been true that of the strengths of the sector has been its willingness to collaborate and share with each other” Chief Advisor Raymond Horan says “the entries this year reflect just how much and how well the sector partners with others to deliver.”
“This reinforces one of our key messages to successive governments – that no one sector or group has all the answers to the policy and service challenges of the 21st century. And its something that stands local communities in good stead as we consider the future of local governance.”
“This year’s entries tell stories about programmes or projects as diverse as the construction of the infrastructure to support the 2021 America’s Cup, to homelessness to a range of entries that unlock the full potential of communities.”
“Modern local government is much more than a provider of utility services” Raymond says.
The competition for the Minister of Local Government’s Award for Excellence in Council-Community Relations will be particularly intense with 10 entries. Raymond adds that knowledge of, and closeness to, our local communities are other strengths.
Competition will also be tough for the MartinJenkins Award for Collaborative Government Action, and the BECA Award for Excellence in Placemaking (a new category this year). Each category has seven entries.
The winners of these awards, and the other four awards: Te Tohu Waka Hourua (the two canoes award for bicultural leadership – sponsored by Buddle Findlay); the Datacom Award for Transforming Services and the GHD Award for Environmental Leadership will be announced online in early May.
The LGFA Supreme Award Winner will be selected from amongst the seven category winners and will also be announced following these awards.
“Sadly we’re not able to hold the usual awards dinner this year due to Omicron and the need to protect staff delivering essential services. We can however say that the sector delivers great outcomes even under the limits of COVID-19.”
These are the entrants in the 2022 Excellence Awards
- Ashburton District Council – CBD Streetscape Renewal Project
- Auckland Council - Kopupaka Reserve Playground Development
- Auckland Council - Te Paataka Koorero o Takaanini Integrated Library and Community Hub
- Auckland Council on behalf of the Wynyard Quarter Alliance – America’s Cup Base Infrastructure
- Buller District Council - Toki Poutangata Bridge
- Central Hawkes Bay District Council – Jobs in the Central Hawke's Bay
- Christchurch Council - Smartview
- Dunedin City Council - Whakahekaru – Rakiātea Rautaki Tai (St Clair – St Kilda Coastal Plan)
- Environment Southland – Southland Winter Grazing Advisory Group
- Far North District Council – Great Workplaces
- Far North District Council – Our Journey to Becoming a Smart Council
- Far North District Council - Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Project
- Hamilton City Council - Delivering Peacocke - Trust and government collaboration
- Hamilton City Council - Stormwater Master Plan Webviewer
- Hamilton City Council – He Pou Manawa Ora
- Hamilton City Council - Shaping Peacocke from the ground up
- Hamilton City Council - Weaving Together the Peacocke Community
- Hastings District Council – Its Flaxmere’s Time
- Hastings District Council – Make Landfill Your Last Choice
- Hasting District Council – Toitoi Hawkes Bay Events Centre BIM and Digital Twin
- Hutt City Council – Electrifying the Hutt City Council
- Invercargill City Council – Stead Street Stopbank Upgrade
- Kaipara District Council - Mangawhai Community Park Project Team
- Mackenzie District Council – Mackenzie Spatial Plans
- Napier City Council – Safe Routes to Schools
- Napier City Council - The Pulse Data Dashboards
- Napier City Council - West Quay
- Nelson City Council – Innovating Streets: Nelson South
- Northland Regional Council – Organisational Development: Enabling Our People and Community to Thrive
- Porirua City Council – Porirua City Council Streamside Project 2021-41
- Rotorua Lakes Council – Rotorua Housing Taskforce
- Ruapehu District Council - Living in Ruapehu: Pūwhenua ki Ruapehu
- Selwyn District Council – Selwyn Across Government Programme of Local Employment Initiatives
- Southland District Council – The Milford Opportunities Masterplan Project
- Taupō District Council - Ngāti Tūrangitukua | Taupō District Council - Mana whakahono a rohe
- Tauranga City – Kainga Tupu: Collaborating to Tackle Homelessness
- Tauranga City Council – Whakahou Taketake: Digital Dashboards
- Tauranga City Council on behalf of Western Bay and Watercare – Three Waters Collaboration
- Waikato Regional Council - Wharekawa Coast 2120 - Natural Hazards Risk Assessment and Community Risk Thresholds
- Wairoa District Council - Toi Te Whenua Manaaki Te Whenua
- Wellington City Council – Being Well at WCC
- Wellington City Council – The Sustainable Food Action Plan
What are the 2022 Award categories?
The Supreme Award winners are selected from amongst the winners of the seven categories. The categories for 2022 are as follows.
The Capability Group Award for Excellence in Organisation and People Development - Is your local authority effectively developing its people and culture?
This category recognises approaches that build an exceptional organisational culture or capability through the application of transformational leadership. Entries in this category might be multi-year programmes or one-off projects but they will involve organisational redesign, human resource management, leadership development or other means of building organisational or staff capability. The approach must be capable of transfer to other local authorities.
The Datacom Award for Transforming Service Delivery - Has your council found a new way of delivering a better service experience?
This category is for programmes or projects that result in an exceptional service experience through new delivery models or the redesign of business processes or practices. The programme or project can relate to any area of council activity which is about delivering improved value for money to ratepayers. The approach must be capable of transfer to other local authorities.
The Minister of Local Government’s Award for Excellence in Council-Community Relations Award - Are your council’s community relationships delivering results?
This award recognises programmes, projects, or initiatives that demonstrate outstanding results through excellent community engagement or community empowerment. Entries may come from any area of local government activity, but must have community engagement, empowerment, or partnership as a key aspect, especially those undertaken over and above statutory requirements. Entries may include successful collaboration with private or community organisations. The approach taken must be transferable to other local authorities.
The MartinJenkins Award for Collaborative Government Action - What benefits has your community achieved through your council working with other local or central government agencies?
This award recognises outstanding results that have been achieved through local authorities working with other government agencies. This category could include programmes or projects from any area of local government activity, provided there is a demonstrable community benefit, and the approach is transferable to other local authorities.
The BECA Award for Excellence in Placemaking - Is your council making the community a better place to live?
This award recognises programmes or projects that shape or create a vibrant local economy, local culture, or promote the achievement of positive social outcomes. Any project or programme in these areas may be entered, but its must be able to demonstrate it is transferrable to other local authorities. We see this in keeping with the wellbeing focus of the sector, now and in the future.
Te Tohu Waka Hourua (two canoes) Award – sponsored by Buddle Findlay - Is your council working effectively in partnership with Māori?
This category recognises programmes, projects, or initiatives that demonstrate outstanding results from working in partnership with Māori. Entries may come from any area of local government activity, but must be able to demonstrate a commitment to partnership with Māori.
The GHD Award for Environmental Leadership - How is your council modelling environmental sustainability?
This category recognises programmes, projects, or initiatives that provide tangible benefits to the environment, or showcase leading practice in managing environmental impacts in the local community. The approach taken must be capable of transfer to, or application by, other local authorities.
About the Excellence Awards
Click here to find out more about the Excellence Awards as well as last year's winners.
6 April 2022