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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