Winner of:
Excellence in Community Engagement Award
Supreme Award Winner

Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Project

This is a highly successful collaboration between Far North District Council, the Kaitaia Business Association, the five iwi of Far North’s Te Hiku region and the wider community. Its purpose is to create employment in, and enhance the vibrancy of, three of New Zealand’s most deprived areas. Some 81 urban development, restoration and revitalisation projects were identified and folded into the project. 

The Judges said: This is an exemplar of how modern local government acts as leader and broker of solutions that promote community wellbeing, and achieves tangible results. This pragmatic and focused wellbeing initiative is exactly the outcome that Parliament had in mind when it restored wellbeing to the statutory purpose of local government. 

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Excellence in Environmental Leadership
Supreme Award

Pathways to the Sea Strategy – Ngā Rerenga ki te Moana

Waikato District Council
Waikato Regional Council’s Ngā Rerenga ki te Moana Strategy improves safe fish passage through flood infrastructure, especially pump stations that harm native tuna. Based on six years of research with
Award Year: 2026
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Excellence in Collaborating for Results

Stronger Together Councils’ buy-out puts people at heart

Hastings District Council
Helping flood-devastated homeowners get their lives back on track following Cyclone Gabrielle drove the Hastings and Napier Voluntary Buy-out Programme, a pioneering model for disaster recovery in New Zealand. The
Award Year: 2025
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Excellence in Community Engagement

Whirinaki Managed Retreat

Northland Regional Council
In Whirinaki, Te Hikutū Hapū, supported by Northland Regional Council, led a proactive, hapū-driven managed retreat to address severe flood risk. Using mātauranga Māori and the PARA framework, the community
Award Year: 2026
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