A record 60 entries have been received in the 2025 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards®. The previous record was 54, set last year.
This year’s entrants include entries from a record 32 councils and one council-controlled organisation (Colab).
The full range of local government activity is on show. In a year when the future delivery of water services has been a major issue for councils, we pleased to see four entries showcasing water services.
The sector has begun to tap the potential of artificial intelligence as a tool for improving services. Four of the entries in the Datacom Award for Excellence in Digital Local Government explore how councils big and small have employed AI in their day-to-day operations.
“In a year when there could be as many as 36 different pieces of legislative change with an impact on the sector, three waters reforms and (for some) an LTP, the sector’s entries into the awards shows just how much it values the opportunity to celebrate success” said Taituarā chief adviser Raymond Horan.
The competition for the Award for Excellence in Community Engagement (sponsored this year by FrankGroup) will be particularly closely fought, with 16 entries. This is the second largest number of entries ever received in an individual category.
“Dropping a complex document on the public and giving them a month to respond in writing might meet the legal requirements, but isn’t really getting the best from either the community or from the council” says Raymond.
“These entries tell stories of local authorities working jointly with communities to identify an issue or problem and how to resolve it. These are all stories of local authorities working with communities, not because they have to, but because this makes for a better solution.”
Competition will also be tough in the Award for Excellence in Collaboration and in the Datascape Award for Excellence in Digital Local Government where nine entries for each have been submitted. This is a record entry for the latter.
The Awards would not be possible without the support of our suite of sponsors:
- The Local Government Funding Agency – sponsors of the Supreme Award
- Beca – sponsors of the Placemaking category
- Buddle Findlay – sponsors of Te Tohu Waka Hourua (the Award for Council/Māori partnerships)
- Datascape – sponsors of the Award for Excellence in Digital Local Government
- FrankGroup – sponsors of the Award for Excellence in Community Engagement
- GHD Advisory – the sponsors of the Award for Environmental Leadership.
The Awards are well-entrenched in the local government calendar as the night the sector celebrates excellence in local government management. As well as the awards themselves, the winners of the New Zealand leg of the Australasian Management Challenge, the winner of the Sheffield Emerging Leader of the Year, and four overseas manager exchanges (sponsored by Marsh, AskYourTeam, and Civic Financial Services) will be announced.
Find out more about being part of this celebration of excellence here.
The following are the entries in the 2025 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards®:
The Award for Collaborating for Results
CoLab and Waikato Regional Council – Waikato Lidar Collaboration Project
Te Kaunihera o Tairāwhiti Gisborne District Council – Tairāwhiti Disaster Ready Emergency Water Treatment and Resilience
Hastings District Council – Stronger Together: Council’s buyout puts people at heart
Kawerau District Council – Porrit Glade Lifestyle Village
Palmerston North City Council – The Ada Street Project
Ruapehu District Council – Te Ara Mangawhero Cycle Trail
Taupō District Council – Ironman 70.3 World Championship
Tauranga City Council – Hāpori Aotearoa – Growing Communities Together Conference
Waitaki District Council – Transforming Health Case for Our Community
The Award for Cost-Effective Impact
Horowhenua District Council – Local Waters Smart Savings
Hurunui District Council – Hurunui District Water Safety Project (aka Protozoal Compliance)
Hutt City Council – Te Pātaka Kōrero o Moerā: Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
Palmerston North City Council – Palmy’s Changing Culture
Waitaki District Council – Changing the Way We Waitaki
The FrankGroup Award for Community Engagement
Dunedin City Council – Enhanced Kerbside Collection Rollout
Dunedin City Council – Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan
Te Kaunihera o Te Ika Far North District Council – Te Pae o Uta
Horowhenua District Council – Because of You
Napier City Council – Napier Library: Reading to Dogs
Napier City Council – No Limits Try-athlon
New Plymouth District Council – Destination Kāwaroa: Stage One
Ōtorohanga District Council – Kanohi ki te Kanohi: Pop Up Council
Otago Regional Council – Integrated Catchment Management in the Catlins
Palmerston North City Council – Expo-sure Palmy’s bold LTP Engagement
Pōrirua City Council – Choctober Fest empowering Pōrirua Business
Queesntown-Lakes District Council – Marsh Iron Reserve Management Plan
Selwyn District Council – Area Plan Early Engagement
Wairoa District Council – Wairoa Whakapiri Uniting Through Recovery
Waitaki District Council – Uplifting Waitaki
Wellington City Council – Mākaro Peak Moumtain Bike Park – Transforming Hills into a World Class Recreational Haven
The Datascape Award for Digital Local Government
Auckland Council – Buzzly
Greater Wellington Regional Council – Projects Timeline
Hutt City Council – AI – Volution
Manawatu District Council –- Manawatu Community Hub Libraries After-hours Access
Masterton District Council – Data Driven Transformation
Selwyn District Council – The Deep End of Innovation: AI and Public Safety in Selwyn
Selwyn District Council – Waikirikiri Ki Tua Future Selwyn
South Wairarapa District Council – Moko: Empowering Customer Services with AI
Wellington City Council – Maatai Manapori: TrackDem
The GHD Award for Environmental Leadership
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council – State Highway 2 Cleanup
Hamilton City Council – Bridging Nature and Development: Lessons from Te Ara Pekapeka
Hamilton City Council – Kids in Nature
Hutt City Council – Te Ngaengae Pool and Fitness Centre
Manawatu District Council – The Cycle of Our Wastewater
Marlborough District Council – Te Hoiere Project
Palmerston North City Council – Turning Waste into Opportunity: Palmy’s game-changing polystyrene recycling solution
Wellington City Council – Predator Free Wellington
The Beca Award for Placemaking
Ashburton District Council – Te Whare Whakatere – Re-creating the Heart of Ashburton
Napier City Council – Marine Parade Heritage Restoration Programme
Ruapehu District Council – Empowering Communities, Enhancing Lives Fund
Timaru District Council – Whakanuia Awards 2024
Te Tohu Waka Hourua (Sponsored by Buddle Findlay)
Dunedin City Council – Te Tāki Haruru
Te Kaunihera o Te Ika Far North District Council – Te Pae o Uta
Hamilton City Council – Whiria te muka, Tuia te ora, Te Ara Pekapeka
Masterton District Council – Voices of the Wairarapa
Napier City Council – Te Aka Civic Precinct
Northland Regional Council (NRC) – NRC and Te Taitokerau Māori and Council (Te Ruarangi) Tāiki ē: Strategic Intent Te Tiriti Strategy and Implementation Plan
Otago Regional Council – Website Co-design
Southland District Council – Matariki Wayfinding Journey
Taupō District Council – He Whare o Tūwharetoa
