Recognition and awards

Finalist - Fleet Innovation for Re-Engineering OneCouncil's Enterprise Asset Management Module for Fleet

Winner – Design and Construction of a Public Works Project between $1.5m and $5m for Waratah Park All Abilities Playground and Amenities Building

Finalist – Best Public Works Project: Projects greater than $5m for Kirrawee Library +

Winner - Community Engagement Award for Council's innovative 10‑Year Bike Plan Consultation

The project used place‑based digital tools, giving residents an opportunity to provide hyper‑local feedback directly on maps, shaping cycling routes and infrastructure priorities. With minimal advertising spend, Council reached tens of thousands of residents and generated actionable insight that influenced planning decisions.

Winner:

Innovative Leadership
Innovative Leadership Communications to Inform, Engage and Educate – A structured internal communications program strengthening leadership visibility, staff alignment and engagement following organisational change.

Highly commended:

Community Development
Navigating the New Aged Care Act – A targeted education program supporting older residents, carers and providers to understand and navigate Australia’s once‑in‑a‑generation aged care reforms, with measurable improvements in knowledge and confidence.

Finalists:

Asset and Infrastructure – Projects over $1.5 million
Kirrawee Library+ – A contemporary, hybrid neighbourhood library embedded within a retail precinct, delivering flexible learning spaces, creative technology, and strong digital inclusion in one of the Shire’s fastest‑growing suburbs.

Community Partnerships
Culturally Inclusive Water Safety and Aquatic Initiatives – Developed in response to disproportionate drowning and rescue rates among culturally and linguistically diverse communities, this initiative was a multi-agency effort that delivers practical water safety education with trusted community organisations and in culturally safe settings.

Customer Experience
Back to the Brilliant Basics – Uplifting CX – A whole‑of‑organisation cultural and operational shift that dramatically improved customer response times, reduced overdue requests and reinforced a ‘Customer at Heart’ mindset across Council.

Emerging Leader
Individual finalist – Lia Fourtsadakis has been recognised as an Emerging Leader for her work supporting the integrity and smooth operation of Council. Working in governance and strategic projects, Lia has contributed to major initiatives including the 2024 Local Government Elections, Councillor induction and planning to ensure Council services continue during emergencies.

Environmental Leadership
I Love a Clean Sutherland Shire – A place‑based litter reduction program delivering visible behaviour change in coastal and park environments, achieving up to 66 per cent litter reduction at targeted sites through community‑led action.

Festivals and Community Events
Jannali Moonrise Festival – A vibrant town centre activation celebrating culture, inclusion and community connection, helping change perceptions of Jannali and supporting local businesses and the evening economy.

Special Project Initiative
Principal Sustainability Summit – A Council‑led initiative bringing together school principals and educators to empower curriculum‑aligned climate action and collaboration across all 84 Sutherland Shire schools.

Special Project Initiative
Spring Clean Blitz – A coordinated town centre uplift across nine regional centres, delivering immediate public space improvements while capturing critical data to support proactive future maintenance.

• Grow, Restore, Connect Volunteer Project – winner in the “Biodiversity Conservation” category.

The ‘Grow, Restore, Connect’ program brought together a team of almost 500 volunteers who lovingly cared for more than 100 Bushcare sites. They removed invasive weeds at the source, nurtured naturally regenerating native seedlings, and collected and propagated local plant species — all to help protect and support environmental biodiversity.

• Solved! Public Place Recycling – joint winner in the “Resource Recovery” category.

The 12-month trial in Sutherland Shire successfully delivered a low-contamination public place recycling service that complements existing waste systems. The community enthusiastically embraced the initiative, especially the Return and Earn Baskets, which proved both popular and effective.

• Youth Week Climate and Biodiversity Forum – finalist in the “Communication and Engagement” category.

The ‘Climate and Biodiversity Forum’ created a space for like-minded students from Year 8 to 10 to come together, learn, participate in activities, workshops, and exchange ideas as a part of its NSW Youth Week programme. The collaborative structure empowered students to act on climate change, biodiversity loss and other youth environment and sustainability issues, such as eco-anxiety.

• How Low Can You Go? – finalist in the “Waste Avoidance” category.

In response to our community’s request for more information on how to reduce household waste, the 6-week ‘How Low Can You Go’ challenge was developed and introduced in 2025. This challenge invited community members to participate in a series of challenges that aimed to educate and teach vital skills in reducing and sorting household waste better. The challenge included a free ‘Challenge kit’ that included a 6-week information booklet, a meal planner, a grocery list, reusable produce bags and a ‘Waste Champion’ hat and tote. Challengers were asked to complete online surveys which gave Council information about waste behaviours and helped understand which challenges resulted in the best results. Overall, households reduced their waste, increased their knowledge and were able to engage their whole family in this fun activity.

Highly Commended in the Sustainable Infrastructure category - Kirrawee Library+

Kirrawee Library+ saw the transformation of a concrete shell beneath apartments into an important educational hub and community space including features such as recording studios, media labs, collaborative zones and event areas. The design made use of recycled materials, timber and energy efficient systems to minimise concrete use, waste and emissions.

• Highly Commended - Sutherland Leisure Centre for Employer of Choice
• Highly Commended - Goran Rajchinoski for Swim School Coordinator / Manager of the Year
• Winner (Gold) - Swim Safe Communities Program by Sutherland Shire Council for Community Service Award

Winner of Outstanding Driver Award - Jason Wotton

Jason was recognised with one of the highest honours from the WCRA, awarded “Outstanding Driver Award” for 2025.His award was presented for his actions following a truck fire in December 2024, where he went above and beyond in the aftermath of the fire to ensure all residents and their vehicles were safe.

Jason's actions not only prevented significant damage to the garbage truck and surrounding infrastructure but also demonstrated significant safety initiative.

Winner of NSW Trainee of the Year – Stephanie Xing

Finalists: Engadine Active Sports Youth Precinct (EASYP) and All Abilities Playground (Cooper St Reserve)

Finalists in Asset and Infrastructure Awards for Engadine Active Sports Youth Precinct (EASYP) and All Abilities Playground (Cooper St Reserve)

The $6.2 million Engadine Active Sports Youth Precinct and All-Abilities Playground, set within Cooper Street Reserve, is a master-planned initiative designed to modernise and enhance recreational opportunities in the Sutherland Shire. This project addresses ageing infrastructure, underutilised facilities, and limited accessibility by introducing an inclusive, active, and environmentally sustainable recreational space.

Special Project Initiative Finalist for Creating a safer and more customer-focused waste collection service through In-cab Technology

Sutherland Council has transformed its workplace operations by successfully installing in-cab technology into its waste heavy vehicle fleet. This technology which has been embraced by drivers has seem improvement in both driver operations and communications resulting in enhanced customer service and safety, including simpler compliance with Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and a move away from an administratively heavy and paper-based process.

Supporting Local Enterprise Finalist for Jannali Moonrise Festival

On 1 and 2 November 2024, Jannali, meaning ‘place of beautiful moonrises’ in Dharawal language, hosted the Jannali Moonrise Festival. The festival included cultural performances with a strong focus on indigenous performances and storytelling, markets, local food, and left legacy improvements such as permanent public art installations, and street fairy lights.

This event fostered continued partnerships with business, schools and community groups, establishing Jannali as a vibrant, community-driven space and boosted economic outcomes for local businesses, who have continued to see increased patronage.

MEDIA RELEASE - Jannali Moonrise Festival set to return for another three years

Winner of Excellence in Australian History and Culture for Fauna Place Early Education Centre in Kirrawee

Awarded for the Centre’s holistic approach to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in the children’s educational program, drawing on the expertise of Aboriginal consultants in speciality areas across art, storytelling, music and Dharawal language.

Winner of Excellence in Inclusivity Practices for Children’s Services Inclusion Project Officer, Clare Smith

Awarded for her extensive work across all 11 of Council’s centres supporting inclusive practices.

MEDIA RELEASE - Council Early Education Centre and Educator named the state’s best!

Winner for “Do your part and fires won’t start” program in the Risk Management Awards.

Fires in waste trucks continue to be a serious safety risk across the waste industry, with the increased use of lithium batteries and inappropriate disposal of all battery types.

We are the first Council to successfully change community behaviour by developing and delivering a multi-year community education campaign (2022-2023); “Do your part and fires won’t start”, with the aim of diverting hazardous materials from the domestic waste collection service.

We engaged the Waste and Recyclers Association (WCRA), with the purpose of gaining additional support to advocate for a local government and private industry wide campaign to tackle waste industry fires.

In recognition of the effective campaign, we were contacted by the NSW EPA to participate in an education video to generate awareness of this growing safety risk.

Highly Commended for The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre in the Asset and Infrastructure Projects over $1.5 million Awards.

The state-of-the-art Pavilion Performing Arts Centre is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by Council. It has created a landmark community hub, a place of artistic excellence, an invaluable platform for our emerging artists and a much needed and timely injection into the performing arts industry post-pandemic.

The highest industry benchmark in facility has been attained at The Pavilion enabling world-standard productions, attracting leading and diverse artists for the first time in 40 years. Key features include seating for 680 patrons with optimal sight lines, a full fly-tower, state of the art staging features, teaching and rehearsal spaces, expansive hospitality areas, an integrated outdoor event space, and enhanced accessibility.

The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre Sutherland reimagines the previous Sutherland Entertainment Centre, preserving aspects of the former building while creating a contemporary new public venue with ameliorated functions to cater for a diversity of cultural and technical needs.

Winner of Healthy Planet, Healthy People Award for OPENAIR program. 

OPENAIR was developed by researchers, tech experts and local Councils to address air pollution impacts through the use of low-cost smart sensors and free to download Best Practise Guides. Grant funding associated with the OPENAIR program enabled Sutherland Shire Council to purchase and install 3 low-cost smart sensors that are currently measuring air quality in the Sutherland Shire.

Winner of Environmental Enhancement Award for Street Lighting Improvement Program (in collaboration with SSROC Councils)

Highly Commended for ShireABILITY Art Awards in the Organisational Diversity and Inclusion Awards.

The inaugural ShireABILITY Art Award was an initiative developed to give people living with a disability an outlet for creative expression and recognition.

Timed to coincide with International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD), the initiative encompassed the submission of artworks from over 50 submissions from people with varying disabilities and from a wide range of age groups, a three-week exhibition at Hazelhurst Arts Centre of all submitted entries, and a presentation event which was attended by over 200 of the artists’ friends and family.

Highly Commended for Connection Café (Dementia Program at Sutherland Shire Libraries) in the Community Partnership Awards.

Sutherland Shire Libraries provide a range of services, events and programs for people living with dementia and their carers. This has included informative workshops and seminars, and ‘Healthy Brain Ageing’ events. These events have consistently booked out, indicating the prevalence of lived experience in the community of dementia.

Winner of New or Improved Techniques for Bate Bay Beaches Protection project.

The project was awarded for emergency works at North Cronulla, with the supply and placement of over 7,000 tonne of sandstone boulders to protect critical public assets, including the Lifeguard Tower, The Esplanade and North Cronulla Carpark that were left suspended by unsupported sand dunes and exposed to the ocean elements.

Winner of Snapper's Choice Award for Local Government in NSW/ACT.