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Northern Beaches Council has won lots of awards. Here's a list of our achievements since amalgamation in May 2016.
2024 / 2025
October
KAB NSW Sustainable Cities Awards 2024
- Highly Commended - Heritage & Culture - Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP)
Banksia National Sustainability Awards 2024
- Finalist - NSW Placemaking - Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP)
Business NSW Visitor Economy Awards 2024
- Finalist - Outstanding Visitor Economy Collaboration - My Manly Campaign
Australian Women in Cyber Security Awards 2024
- Winner - Special Recognition in category Unsung Hero - Karen Sullivan
2023 / 2024
October
LGNSW Excellence in the Environment Awards 2023
- Winner - Transition to a Circular Economy population >100,000 - Let’s ReDirect our Engineered Timber out of Landfill!
Parking Australia Industry Awards 2023
- Winner - Parking Young Achiever - Emily Carson
November
Local Government Procurement Awards 2023
- Winner - New Procurement Professional - Levi Manuel
February
Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2024
- Winner - Beaches - Manly Beach Best Beach in Australia (7th Best Beach in the World)
March
2024 iTnews Benchmark Awards
- Winner - Local Government Technology Leader - Naren Gangavarapu
- Winner - Best Local Government Project - Application Whitelisting
- Finalist - Best Local Government Project - New Mobile Devices Managed Service
- Finalist - Best Telecommunications & Media - Installation of SD-QAN and Satellite Solution
April
2024 IPWEA Engineering Excellence Awards
- Highly Commended - Design & Construction of a Public Works Project (greater than $500,000 but less than $5million) - Taylors Point Bank Stabilization Project
2024 Local Government Excellence Awards
- Finalist - Community Partnerships - Multi-Cultural Inclusion Plan
2024 National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards
- Finalist - Landscape - Clontarf Tidal Pool Renewal
May
2024 Communicator Awards
- Excellence - Social Video Educational - Be Beach Safe campaign
- Distinction - Content & Marketing - Government and Environmental Sustainability - My Place : Manly
- Distinction - Content & Marketing - Government and Environmental Sustainability - Rethink. Reduce. Reuse: Draft Waste and Circular Economy Strategy 2040
June
NSW Local Government Excellence Awards 2024
- Winner - Asset & Infrastructure >$1.5million - Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club and Precinct Development
- Runner-up - Australasian Management Challenge - Team 'Beach Please'
- Highly Commended - Community Development - Have Your Say Day - Youth for Youth
Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
- Excellent Rating - Belrose Children's Centre
- Exceeding Rating - All Children's Services areas
Xref Engage Awards 2023
- Winner - Best Workplace - Employee Engagement Survey
- Winner - Change Champion - Employee Engagement Survey
2022 / 2023
August
LGNSW, Local Government Week Awards 2022
- Highly Commended - RH Dougherty Awards - Excellence in Communication Award (population more than 70,000) - Delivering a Fairer Rating System
October
Banksia Foundation - NSW Sustainability Awards 2022
- Finalist - Net Zero - Protect.Create.Live : Towards Net Zero Northern Beaches
LGNSW - AR Bluett Memorial Award 2022
- Winner - Northern Beaches Council
Australian Event Awards 2022
- Finalist - Best New Event (Virtual, Live or Hybrid) - Play Manly Festival
LG Excellence in the Environment Awards 2022
- Highly Commended - Communication, Education and Empowerment - Simplifying Solar Program
November
National Local Government Customer Service Network 2022
- Winner - Innovation of the Year - Customer Activity Tracker (the CAT)
CIO Australia
- Winner - CIO50 - Best Government Project 2022 - Northern Beaches Council
March
Tripadvisor Best of the Beaches Award
- 13th Best Beach in the World & 2nd Best Beach in the South Pacific - Manly Beach
April
NSW Local Government Excellence Awards 2023
- Winner - Innovative Leadership - Population Over 150,000 - Resilience Strategy – Withstand. Adapt. Thrive.
- Highly Commended - Asset and Infrastructure - Over $1.5 million - Mona Vale Surf Lifesaving Club and Amenity Facilities
- Highly Commended - Special Project Initiative - Population Over 150,000 - Forestville Library 24/7
- Finalist - Asset and Infrastructure - Under $1.5 million - Taylors Point Slope Stabilisation
- Finalist - Community Development - Population Over 150,000 - It Takes a Village (ITAV)
- Finalist - Community Partnerships - Population Over 150,000 - Rainbows on the Beaches - an Anti-Bias Approach
- Finalist - Customer Experience - Customer Service Quality Assurance Program
- Finalist - People, Workplace, Wellbeing - Thrive Wellbeing Program
- Finalist - Special Project Initiative - Population Over 150,000 - Conservation Zones Review – Public Exhibition Application (C Zone App)
- Finalist - Environmental Leadership - ECC Dashboard
May
The Communicator Awards 2023
- Distinction - General : Safety - Bare Creek Bike Safety Video
- Distinction - Campaign : Travel & Tourism - Play Manly
- Excellence - Social Impact : Consumer Products & Services - Sharing the Road Campaign
- Excellence - General : Talent Partnerships - Taste of Manly - Hayden Quinn
June
NSW Architecture Awards 2023
- Winner - The Robert Woodward for Small Project Architecture - Mona Vale Beach Amenities and Lifeguard Facility
2021 / 2022
July
NSW Government Sustainability Advantage Program
- Silver Partnership - Northern Beaches Council - Commitment to Sustainability in our Community
August
Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2021
- Winner - Manly Scenic Walkway (co-owned with National Parks) - Top 10% of Attractions Worldwide
NSW Department of Education
- Manly Community Preschool - Recognized as exceeding the National Quality Standard under the National Quality Framework
Stormwater NSW Awards for Excellence 2021
- Winner - Excellence in Infrastructure Awards - Manly - Safe and Beautiful Once Again
- Runner-up - Excellence in Infrastructure Awards - Two birds one stone : Flood free properties and Cleaner beach at Newport
September
Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) Awards 2021
- Finalist - Narrabeen Children's Centre - Environmental Program Excellence
- Finalist - Narrabeen Children's Centre - Large Metropolitan Service
- Finalist - Narrabeen Children's Centre - Sustainability Excellence
- Finalist - Dee Why Children's Centre - Inclusive Practices Excellence
- Finalist - North Harbour Children's Centre - Being a Good Sport Program Excellence
October
Australian Event Awards 2021
- National Finalist & State Winner - Sun Run 2021, Northern Beaches Council - Best Community Event (Virtual, Live or Hybrid)
- National Finalist & State Winner - Taste of the Beaches, Northern Beaches Council - Best Live or Hybrid Public Event
Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) Awards 2021
- Winner - Currawong Cottages Refurbishment Project - Heritage Buildings Adaptive Reuse
November
LGNSW, Local Government Week Awards 2021
- Winner - Youth Week Awards - Most Innovative Youth Week Program 2021
- Finalist - Leo Kelly Arts & Culture Awards - Daryung : Collaboration between North Side Aboriginal Artists & Council
The Climate Council, Cities Power Partnership Climate Awards 2021
- Winner - Renewable Energy Achievement Award - Northern Beaches Goes Renewable
- Finalist - Energy Efficiency Achievement Award - Energy Audit and Implementation
LGNSW, Excellence in the Environment Awards 2021
- Highly Commended - Silver Local Sustainability - Towards Net Zero Northern Beaches
National Local Government Customer Service Network (NLGCSN) Awards 2021
- Winner - 2021 Customer Service Team of the Year - Northern Beaches Council
December
Australian Government, National Awards for Local Government
- Winner - Creativity and Culture Award - Library 2U - Creating vibrant and cohesive communities through the Arts
NSW Public Libraries Association Awards 2021
- Highly Commended - Innovation in Outreach Services Award - Library 2U
January
Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2021 Sustainable Cities Awards
- Highly Commended - Renewable Energy - Northern Beaches goes Renewable
- Winner - Circular Economy - Let's Go Swap and Go
March
NSW & ACT IPWEA Engineering Excellence Awards 2021
- Winner - Construction Projects less than $500,000 - Richard Road, Scotland Island offshore road and drainage construction works
Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) - Early Childhood Learning Awards
- Winner - Environmental Program Excellence - Narrabeen Children's Centre
Parks and Leisure Australia Awards for Excellence 2022
- Finalist - Park of the Year - Glen Street Open Space Masterplan Implementation - Lionel Watts Reserve and Frenchs Forest Showground
April
LG Professionals, NSW Local Government Excellence Awards 2022
- Winner - Special Project Initiative - Northern Beaches Culture Map Live
- Winner - Customer Experience - Voice of Customer
- Finalist - Community Development - Better Together Strategy
- Finalist - Innovative Leadership - Catalyst Towards 2023 : Leadership Development and Change Program
- Finalist - Special Project Initiative - People Central Project
- Finalist - Risk Management - Disclosure App
- Finalist - Innovative Leadership - Turning complex questions into salient solutions : New Strategy and Project Management Framework
- Finalist - Special Project Initiative - Artist Books Project
- Finalist - People, Workplace, Wellbeing - Lit from Within
- Finalist - Partnerships and Collaboration - Public Space Vision and Design Guidelines
- Finalist - Environmental Leadership - Net Zero
- Finalist - Community Partnerships - North Harbour Pre-School and Vacation Care
- Finalist - Innovative Leadership - The CAT
- Finalist - Assets and Infrastructure - Glen Street Open Space Masterplan Implementation
- Finalist - Park of the Year - Glen Street Open Space Masterplan Implementation - Lionel Watts Reserve and Frenchs Forest Showground
May
Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, Communicator Awards 2022
- Winner - Individual Public Service for online video - Rates Harmonisation
- Winner - Individual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for online video - Harmony Week
- Finalist - Design Features/Overall Design for Print Advertising - Glen Street Theatre
- Finalist - Individual Causes and Awareness online video - Explainer Narrabeen Lagoon Management
LG Professionals Australasian Management Challenge
- Third in NSW - Team HEXAD
June
Voice Project - Change Champion Awards 2022
- Winner - Change Champion 2022 - Employee Engagement Survey
2020 / 2021
August
Local Government NSW - RH Dougherty Awards
Winner Outstanding Individual – Julie Steele
- Winner Innovation in Special Events – Taste of Manly
- Finalist Excellence in Communication – Swap for Good
- Finalist Excellence in Communication – New Waste Service
- Highly Commended Innovation in Special Events – Artist’s Book Award Project
Local Government NSW - Planning Awards
- Finalist Local Strategic Planning Statement
Local Government NSW - Leo Kelly Arts & Culture Awards
- Highly Commended Arts & Creativity Strategy
September
LG Professionals NSW - 2020 Australasian Management Challenge
- Winner NSW Team Foamy Triple Shots
- People's Choice Award Team Foamy Triple Shots
NSW Resilient Australia Awards
- Highly Commended Northern Beaches Suicide Response
October
LGNSW Excellence in the Environment Awards
- Highly Commended Behaviour Change in Waste – Waste Reduction Event and Video Series
- Highly Commended Communication, Education and Empowerment – Swap for Good Business Program
November
NSW Department of Education Early Childhood Educator Awards
- Excellence rating for achieving a rating of Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven quality areas - Belrose Children’s Centre outstanding commitment to inclusion within the community
Urban Development Institute of Australia Excellence Awards
- Finalist Urban Renewal - Dee Why Town Centre
The Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence Awards
- Metropolitan Regional Winner Council's Disclosure Management System
NSW Youth Work Awards 2020
- Inducted into the 2020 Youth Work Hall of Fame - Justin Burke
- Finalist Outstanding Youth Participation - Youth Services Team
- Finalist Outstanding Partnership - Wellbeing Program
Greater Sydney Commission Planning Awards
- Winner Community Collaboration Award - Local Strategic Planning Statement - Towards 2040
- Winner Community Collaboration Award - Arts and Creativity Strategy - Connected through Creativity 2029
International Association for Public Participation Australasia (IAP2)
- Highly Commended Core Values Awards - Protect.Create.Live - Northern Beaches Environment & Climate Change Strategy 2040
Sustainable Cities Awards - Keep Australia Beautiful
- Winner Overall Sustainable City
- Winner Response to Climate Change - Protect.Create.Live - Northern Beaches Environment & Climate Change Strategy 2040
- Winner Recycled Organics Award - Closed Loop Organic Recycling Program
- Winner Environmental Communications - Swap for Good campaign
- Winner Coastal & Waterways Protection - Reducing Litter in the Dee Why Lagoon Catchment, Solution for the Future
- Highly Commended Litter Action - Don't be a Tosser / What a load of Rubbish
- Highly Commended Coastal & Waterways Protection - Operation Straw
Planning Institute of Australia
- Commendation Award From Plan to Place - Dee Why Town Centre Urban Renewal
December
LG Professionals - Australasian Management Challenge
- Runner-up National - Team Foamy Triple Shots
- Winner Risk and Live Challenge sections - Team Foamy Triple Shots
LG Professionals - 2020 National Federation Awards for Local Government
- Highly Commended Progressive Community Leadership - Northern Beaches Suicide Response
- Finalist Environmental Leadership & Sustainability - Swap for Good Program
Sustainability Matters - 2020 Smart Cities Awards
- Winner Future of Place - lead by Lake Macquarie City Council and partnered with UTS
March
NSW Department of Education
- Roundhouse and Harbour View Children's Centres - recognized as exceeding the National Quality Standard under the National Quality Framework
April
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) - 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards
- Highly Commended Projects less than $500,000 (Design and Construction of a Local Government/Public Works Project) - Little Manly Tidal Pool Renewal
HVTC Excellence Awards 2020
- Winner Large Host Employer of the Year (sponsored by CBA) - Northern Beaches Council
May
2021 Communicator Awards (international)
- Excellence Award Graphic Design (General Government for Brochure) - Community Arts Strategy - Connect Through Creativity 2029
- Excellence Award Graphic Design (Design Features - Overall Design for Corporate Communication) - Local Strategic Planning Statement (Towards 2040)
- Excellence Award Graphic Design (Design Features - Overall Design for Marketing/Promotion) - What a Load of Rubbish
- Distinction Award Graphic Design (Collateral - Causes & Awareness for Marketing/Promotion) - What a Load of Rubbish
- Distinction Award Graphic Design (Annual Report - General Government for Corporate Communication) - Local Strategic Planning Statement (Towards 2040)
- Excellence Award Communications - Digital (Social video - video series) - Business Unites Campaign
- Excellence Award Communications - Digital (Social video - video series) -Amenities Upgrades Nolan Reserve, Balgowlah Oval and Lionel Watts
- Distinction Award Communications (Content & Marketing Crisis Communications) - COVID-19 Local Response
- Distinction Award Communications (Social Video - Educational & Instructional) - Be the Best Version of You : Avoid, Reuse and Recycle
June
2021 Local Government Excellence Awards
- Winner - Community Development - Housing & Homelessness Project
- Winner - Customer Experience - Library 2U Project
- Highly Commended - Asset & Infrastructure - Narrabeen Lagoon Boardwalk
- Highly Commended - Disaster Recovery/Emergency Response Management - Manly Beach (Marine Parade) Wave Overtopping Early Warning System & Response
- Finalist Connected Communities & Regions - History Hub
- Finalist Disaster Recovery/Emergency Response Management - COVID-19 Pandemic Plan & Emergency Response Framework
- Finalist Organisational Change - IGNITE-ing Business Excellence at Northern Beaches Council
- Finalist People, Workplace, Wellbeing - The Making a Difference Program
- Finalist Special Project Initiative - Engagement from Anywhere - the Library App
LG Professionals NSW - 2021 Australasian Management Challenge
- Highly Commended - Australasian Management Challenge 2021 - Flamin' Galahs
2021 Parks & Leisure Australia Awards
- Highly Commended - Park of the Year - Lionel Watts/Frenchs Forest Showground
2019 / 2020
Cities Power Partnership
- Finalist Climate Change Champion Award - programs in environmental sustainability
- Finalist Sustainable Transport Achievement – Move Northern Beaches Transport Strategy
Government Contact Centre Awards
- Runner-up Best in Class Contact Centre (under 30 seats)
NSW Department Communities and Justice
- Highly Commended Youth Week Award – Northern Beaches Youth Programs
National Local Government Customer Service Network
- Highly Commended Innovation in Customer Experience in Service Delivery
Australian Street Art Awards
- Winner Best Utility Art (N) – Sunset Dreaming mural in Manly Corso
Australian Childcare Alliance NSW
- Winner Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards - Educational Program Excellence - Narrabeen Children’s Centre
2020 Local Government Excellence Awards
- Winner Community Partnerships and Collaboration: population over 200,000 – Northern Beaches Suicide Response
- Winner Environmental leadership and sustainability: population over 200,000 – Swap for Good Business Program
- Finalist Asset Management and Infrastructure Initiatives: projects over $1.5 million – Dee Why Town Centre Urban Renewal
- Finalist Community development and services: population over 200,000 – Big Ideas Forum
- Finalist Creative communities – Connected through creativity 2029
- Finalist Environmental leadership and sustainability: population over 200,000 - Protect.Create.Live - Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040
- Finalist Excellence in people and culture: population over 60,000 – Inspire, Connect, Belong and Share
- Finalist Innovative leadership and management: population over 100,000 – One Recruitment Project
- Finalist Risk management – Northern Beaches Council Incident and Emergency Management Program
- Finalist Service delivery initiative: population over 60,000 - Digi-Stronger - Northern Beaches Library Service Digital Literacy Initiatives
- Finalist Special project initiative: population over 100,000 - Northern Beaches Local Strategic Planning Statement - Towards 2040
LG National Federation Awards 2020
- Highly Commended Community Partnerships and Collaboration: population over 200,000 – Northern Beaches Suicide Response
Genesys 2020 Customer Innovation Awards
- Finalist CX Accelerator: Best implementation — Time to achieve value Small Contact Centre
Mental Health Commission of New South Wales
- Best Practice Response - Northern Beaches Suicide Response
2018 / 2019
Greater Sydney Commission Planning Awards
- Special commendation Community Collaboration Award - Northern Beaches Hospital Precinct Structure Plan, Frenchs Forest
NSW Local Government Excellence Awards, LG Professionals
- Winner Community Partnerships and Collaboration - PCYC Project, Dee Why
Local Government NSW - RH Dougherty Awards
- Joint Winner Division C Excellence in Communication – Northern Beaches Hospital Precinct Structure Plan
- Special Commendation Division C Excellence in Communication – Northern Beaches Brand Roll Out
Local Government NSW - Excellence in the Environment Awards
- Winner Division C - Innovation in Planning, Policies and Decision Making - Protecting public assets at Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach
- Winner Overall Category - Innovation in Planning, Policies and Decision Making - Protecting public assets at Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach
- Highly Commended Division C - Climate Change Action - Building resilience into infrastructure assets project
Master Painters Australia
- Winner - Excellence in Heritage and Restoration over $20,000 - Tram Restoration, Narrabeen
National Local Government Customer Service Network Awards
- Winner Customer Service Strategy
- Highly Commended Customer Experience Excellence
- Finalist Customer Service Team of the Year Award
Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (International)
- Winner Silver Communicator Award - Cause Marketing for Integrated Campaign - Swap This For That video
- Winner Gold Communicator Award - Public service - Swap This For That video
- Winner Silver Communicator Award - Education - Northern Beaches News: Live at Nippers Carnival videos (Nippers take on SUP)
REBRAND 100 Global awards
- Winner for Council’s new identity developed with the community
Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts - International Communicator Awards
- 2018 Gold award of excellence - Social Media video category
- 2018 Silver award of distinction - Branded content category
Keep Australia Beautiful - Sustainable Cities Awards
- Joint winner with co-author Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia - Response to Climate Change Award - Industry Guide on Climate Change Impacts on the Useful Life of Infrastructure Assets
- Winner Environmental Communications Award - Swap This For That campaign to reduce plastics use
- Finalist Overall Sustainable Cities Award
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia
- Joint winner with partner councils of northern Sydney - Local Government Excellence in Road Safety - Road Safety calendar
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (NSW)
- Winner Special Transport Integration Hub Award - Church Point car park and seawall project
- Winner Special Heritage Award - Refurbishment of Heritage Sydney Tram (Narrabeen Tramshed) - restoration done by The Forest Men's Shed
Local Government Professionals Australia NSW
- Winner NSW - Australasian Management Challenge - Team 'Smells Like Team Spirit'
Local Government Professionals Australia NSW - Excellence Awards
- Finalist Asset Management and Infrastructure initiatives - Church Point Precinct Upgrades
- Finalist Community Development and Services - Innovation in Structure - Community Librarian
- Finalist Community Development and Services - Nourishing Little Scientists and Engineers
- Finalist Community Development and Services - Supporting Reconciliation Across our Education and Care Services
- Finalist Community Partnerships and Collaboration - Tiny Doors
- Finalist Creative Communities - Creative Made
- Winner Creative Communities - Tiny Doors
- Highly Commended Excellence in People and Culture - Innovation in Structure - Community Librarian
- Highly Commended Service Delivery Initiative - Three into one does go: Migrating from three to one Library Management Systems
- Finalist Environmental Leadership and Sustainability - Swap This For That - say no to single use plastics
2017 / 2018
Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts - International Communicator Awards
- Gold Award of Excellence - Government category
- Silver Award of Distinction - Community category
Master Builders Association Excellence in Construction Awards
- Winner Sporting Facility category - Manly Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre
Resilient Australia Awards
- Winner NSW Government category – Climate Wise Communities Extension Project (joint project with 5 other councils)
National Local Government Customer Service Network - October
- Winner Customer Service Strategy Award
- Highly Commended Customer Experience Excellence Award
- Finalist Customer Service Team of the Year Award
LG Professionals Australia - NSW Local Government Excellence awards
- Winner Col Mills Scholarship for promising young professionals – Russell Peake, Project Manager
The Australian Early Education and Care Awards
- Finalists Early Childhood Educator of the Year, NSW - Celia Ralph (Narrabeen) and Stephanie Davison (Manly)
Aquatic and Recreation Institute
- Winner ARI Orimatech “Award of Excellence” for commitment to the Aquatic Industry - Les Watt