Council groups recognised for major environmental and infrastructure achievements

LOCAL restoration projects were recognised at the Local Government Professionals NSW awards dinner in Sydney, highlighting infrastructure and long-term community resilience efforts across the region.

In the Asset and Infrastructure category for projects over $1.5m, councils from the Northern Rivers were among the standout performers.

Rous County Council was named winner in the population over 100,000 category for its Enhancing Northern Rivers Water Security Integration project, recognising its long-term planning to strengthen regional water resilience.

In the under 100,000 population category, Byron Shire Council took top honours for its Sandhills Wetlands Project, a major environmental and cultural restoration initiative in the heart of Byron Bay.

The project has been widely praised for transforming a 1.8ha former sandmining site into a restored wetland system designed to improve drainage, reduce flooding impacts on the town centre, and revive ecological function.

Byron Shire Council general manager Mark Arnold said the recognition was a significant achievement for both staff and the broader community.

The project carried strong cultural significance, having been co-designed with Arakwal people and supported by the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council, NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Crown Lands.

“This is a proud moment for council and our community because it’s such an honour for our Sandhills Wetlands project to be recognised at these highly regarded awards,” he said.

 

“Not only did we restore the ecological function of the wetlands and reinstate the natural landscape, but we also honoured cultural heritage,” he said.

Lismore City Council also featured prominently at the awards, receiving the Environmental Leadership award for its Rural Landholder Initiative.

The initiative, established in 2015, has worked with more than 250 rural properties, supported the planting of over 50,000 native trees, delivered weed control across 380ha, and completed 6.5km of riparian restoration.

The council also earned highly commended in the Special Project Initiative category for its Flood Restoration Portfolio

And it was a finalist in the Asset and Infrastructure Projects category for the Lismore Skatepark.

Mayor Steve Krieg said the recognition reflected the breadth of work being delivered across the council.

“These awards highlight the breadth of work being undertaken across our organisation – from protecting and restoring our natural environment, to leading one of the largest disaster recovery programs in local government, and delivering infrastructure that enhances community wellbeing,” he said.

Tweed Shire Council also won an award for its Shifting the Needle Toward Respect and Safety initiative.