Toitū te Kotahitanga is Whakatāne District Council’s journey of transformation of its organisational culture and leadership capability. This led to staff developing and owning their vision and values and working towards being ‘better together’.

The judges said: We saw five organisational culture programmes this year. Toitū te Kotahitanga stood out not only for the improvements in staff engagement, but that there was a strong linkage to the council’s strategic objectives.

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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

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

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