Innovation and excellence in our local government sector were recognised in the 2020 NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) awards.
Six category winners of the 2020 McGredy Winder SOLGM Local Government Excellence Awards, including a Supreme winner, were announced, along with the Brookfields Emerging Leader of the Year Award; several Overseas Manager Exchanges (sponsored by Civic Financial Services; AskYourTeam and Marsh); the Skills Organisation Melbourne Business School Leadership Scholarship; the SOLGM Distinguished Management Award; and the President’s Award for Distinguished Contribution to SOLGM.
A Bay of Plenty biosecurity management initiative took out the Supreme Award for Te Arawa Catfish Killas, an initiative with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Te Arawa Lakes Trust. The project has resulted in the removal of 80,000 catfish from lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti over three years. The initiative was praised by the judges as an inspirational example of managing biosecurity through co-management with the local Maori community.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council also won the Te Puni Kokiri Award for Bicultural Leadership category, and the BERL Award for Collaborative Government Action for Project Kopeopeo Canal Remediation, a project to safely remove dioxin-contaminated sediment from the Kopeopeo Canal near Whakatane. This is the first time since 2012 that a council has won more than one Excellence Award category.
SOLGM’s chief executive, Karen Thomas, says the awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the work of professionals in the local government sector.
“At a time when councils when are working tirelessly to provide services and support to their communities, it is great to be able to announce this news. Huge congratulations to Bay of Plenty on these wins and thank you to all our sponsors for support.”
Other award winners were:
The Minister for Local Government’s Award for Innovation in Council/Community Relations
Rotorua Lakes Council, The 2019 Rotorua Child Equity Programme Pilot.
Highly Commended: Dunedin City Council, Ohinepouwera (Karitane Sandspit Restoration)
The Capability Group Award for Innovation in Organisation and People Development
Central Hawkes Bay District Council, Together We Thrive! E Ora Ngatahi Ana.
The Tompkins Wake Award for Better Policy and Regulation
Porirua City Council, At the Heart of Out City: Strategic Framework for Children and Young People in Porirua.
The Local Government Funding Agency Award for Transforming Service Delivery
Auckland Council, Request for Service.
Brookfields Emerging Leader of the Year Award
Kane McElrea, Biosecurity manager – Partnerships & Strategy, Northland Regional Council.
Civic Financial Services Overseas Manager Exchange to the United States
Kym Fell, chief executive, Whanganui District Council.
Marsh Overseas Manager Exchange to British Columbia
Sarah Nichols, Governance manager, Waimakariri District Council.
Marsh Overseas Manager Exchange to Canada
Nicola Pinfold, Group manager Community & Planning, Dunedin City Council.
AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange to New South Wales
Karel Boakes, Regulatory manager, Manawatu District Council.
AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange to Queensland
Doug Tate, Group manager Customer & Community Partnerships, Central Hawkes Bay District Council
AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange to Australia
Martyn Cole, Water & Wastewater Asset manager, Kapiti Coast District Council
The Skills Organisation Melbourne Business School Scholarship: Leading for Strategic Success
Sanchia Jacobs, chief executive, Central Otago District Council
SOLGM Distinguished Management Award
Basil Chamberlain, chief executive, Taranaki Regional Council
SOLGM President’s Award for Distinguished Contribution to SOLGM
David Ward, chief executive, Selwyn District Council