Tribune’s note

Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain announced the 2026 National Awards for Local Government on 23 June, naming 13 category winners from a field of 69 local governing bodies that submitted 191 projects [TA-260623-infras-21078135d4e9]. Now in their 40th year, the awards cover a broad thematic range — from social housing and disaster resilience to inclusive recreation — signalling the portfolio's intent to use the program as a lever for community infrastructure investment across regional Australia.

The standout winners span geographically and thematically. The City of Moreton Bay was recognised for delivering 22 new social housing dwellings, connecting the local government program directly to the government's broader affordable housing agenda. Hawkesbury City Council took an award for reconstructing the Thomas James Bridge following the July 2022 floods, a project with clear disaster-resilience dimensions that sit squarely within McBain's emergency management remit.

The City of Palmerston was honoured for the Zuccoli Community Hub Pump Track, an inclusive recreational facility in the Northern Territory.

McBain framed the milestone in direct terms: "With the National Awards for Local Government now in their 40th year, I am proud to continue to recognise standout councils going above-and-beyond for their communities every year" [TA-260623-infras-21078135d4e9]. The submission volume — 191 projects from 69 bodies — points to sustained council-level appetite for federal recognition and reflects the breadth of themes the program now accommodates, including regional growth, affordable housing, and community cohesion.

The portfolio's use of the awards as a recognition and investment-signalling instrument is consistent with this approach.

Primary records (1)

The official records this note draws on — the raw primary documents themselves, as published.

MediaOutstanding local government achievements recognisedKristy McBainTuesday 23 June 2026