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Wodonga finalist in three LGPro awards
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Posted: 04/01/2012
WODONGA Council has been announced as a finalist in three categories for the 2012 LGPro Awards for Excellence (LGPro is the peak body for local government professionals in Victoria).
The three finalists are:
- Community Partnerships: Neighbourhood Power, community and neighbourhood strengthening team;
- Innovative Management: Environmental health team for domesticating wastewater practices; and
- Young Achiever: Kat Bennett, project officer.
Wodonga Council's acting CEO Patience Harrington said the recognition was a great reward for the efforts of Wodonga Council staff.
“We have been shortlisted in three out of eight categories from 107 nominations,” she said.
“Wodonga Council's Neighbourhood Power program has achieved outcomes including the construction of an off-leash dog park, a major emergency food relief program, pizza oven and men's shed workshop. These projects could not have been realised without the efforts of groups and organisations including People for Paws, Mars Petcare, the Birallee Park Neighbourhood House, Wodonga West Primary School and the Wodonga Men's Shed.
“The domesticating wastewater practices project has changed the way Wodonga Council administers its domestic wastewater/septic tank maintenance responsibilities and services.
“The strength of the project lies in its proactive approach, use of partnerships with specialist agencies and its innovative funding model. Wodonga Council contracts septic tank inspections to North East Water, who in turn, subcontracts to a state-wide plumbing service to ensure all tanks are in working order. This process has been successful for more than three years and its simplicity means that it can be adopted by other councils in Victoria.
“At 23 years of age, Kat Bennett has successfully co-ordinated four major community development projects. Ms Bennett also has many active volunteer roles in the Wodonga community and is always exploring ways to develop her knowledge and capabilities and then share her learning with other people.
“Ms Bennett's involvement in the Streets Ahead Project saw her encouraging and supporting primary school students to use active transport methods of travelling to school, focusing on Wodonga's lowest socio-economic areas.”
The criteria for the categories that Wodonga Council is a finalist in include:
- Community Partnerships: Initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to working with and/or in the community to achieve positive outcomes.
- Innovative Management: An initiative that demonstrates new ways of leading, facilitating, administering, controlling or ensuring a particular outcome is achieved and that make positive changes to the management of organisations, processes, practices or projects.
- Young Achiever: Nominations for this category must relate to “recognisable achievements” in the local government sector. People being nominated must be up to 30 years of age and have achieved outstanding results.
The LGPro Awards for Excellence serve an important role in promoting and celebrating the outstanding work being undertaken and delivered by individuals and teams working in local government in Victoria. The awards will be presented at the 2012 LGPro Annual Conference Dinner to be held on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
