Awards and achievements

Local Government NSW, Excellence in the Environment Award

Winner: Biodiversity and Habitat Management Development Control Plan

The Awards recognise outstanding achievements by local government in managing and protecting the environment.

Local Government NSW, Excellence in the Environment Award

Winner: Tackling Mosquitoes Together - Overall category winner

The Awards recognise outstanding achievements by local government in managing and protecting the environment.

2019 Green Globe Awards

Winner: Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Organisations

The awards recognise and celebrate sustainability leadership and environmental protection in NSW.

NSW Resilient Australia Awards - Local Government Category

Winner: Industry Central Land Swap project

Industry Central Land Swap project for strengthening community disaster resilience.

Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Award in the Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement

Winner: Oxley River ground stabilisation project

On-Ground Works category for the erosion stabilisation project in the Oxley River.

RH Dougherty Award Reporting to your Community

Winner: Tweed Emergency Dashboard

Emergency Dashboard won Category C (for Councils with a population of more than 70,000).

Aquatic Recreation Institute's Environmental Sustainability Award

Winner: Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre (TRAC)

For generating renewable energy to reduce electricity use.

2018 PIA NSW Awards for Planning Excellence, Improving Planning Processes and Practices

Winner: Tweed Shire Council Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan

Tweed Shire Council and Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council on behalf of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

Caravan & Camping Industry Association NSW Awards of Excellence

Winner: Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park

Best Holiday Park North Coast (100 sites or less) and Winner Best of the Best NSW Holiday Park.

2019 National Trust Heritage Awards - Winner of category Conservation: Built Heritage

Winner: Kingscliff community buildings upgrade

Tweed Shire Council in partnership with Cosmos Archaeology, Aspect Architectire, JM Pearce Architects, Sedgman, Earthsolve, SEE Civil Pty Ltd and Galaxy Projects.

RH Dougherty Award Innovation in Special Events

Winner: Food for Thought Forum

Council's inaugural Food for Thought Forum won Category C (for councils with populations over 70,000).

2018 Local Government Excellence Awards

Winner: LG Professionals NSW Highly Commended award in the ‘Special Project’ category (population 60,000 and above)

Council’s Critical Incident Response Group was recognised for its leadership in responding to the 2017 March flood event at the 2018 Local Government Excellence Awards in Sydney.

NSW Local Government Professionals Awards

Winner: Community Engagement Network

Excellence in Innovative Leadership and Management.

Planning Institute of Australia’s (PIA) NSW Awards for Planning Excellence

Winner: Rural Villages Strategy

Council’s Rural Villages Strategy won the ‘Best Planning Ideas – Small Project’ category.

Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Award

Winner: Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre

Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre ranked fourth best museum in ‘Top Museums – Australia’. It was ranked ninth in the ‘Top 25 Museum – South Pacific’ list.

RH Dougherty Award Excellence in Communication

Winner: Community Engagement Network

Council’s Community Engagement Network was awarded Highly Commended (Division B, for councils with populations between 30,000 to 100,000).

Parks & Leisure Awards for Excellence

Winner: Knox Park playground in Murwillumbah

The Knox Park playground in Murwillumbah took out a Regional Award for Excellence in the ‘Playspace: Minor (less than $500,000)’ category at the Parks & Leisure Australia Awards for Excellence, competing against other projects from across NSW and the ACT.

2016 Australian Coastal Awards

Winner: The Kingscliff Matters Shopfront

Australian Coastal Awards for Community Engagement for engagement on the Kingscliff Foreshore Revitalisation, the draft Kingscliff Locality Plan and the Kingscliff-Dreamtine Beach Coastal Zone Management Plan.

2016 Gold Coast/Northern Rivers Regional Architecture Awards

Bud Brannigan Architects received a regional commendation for the Margaret Olley Art Centre at the Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah.

NSW Local Government Excellence Awards

Winner: Murwillumbah CBD Drainage Project

The Murwillumbah CBD Drainage Project was Highly Commended in the Special Projects category to recognise contributions, achievements and implementations being carried out to improve NSW local government.

Northern Rivers 2015 Regional Business Awards

Tweed Shire Council won the Excellence in Sustainability Award in September 2015 for its successful efforts to make business operations more sustainable.

Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Awards

Council was announced the 2014/2015 divisional and overall winner of the Natural Environment Policies, Planning and Decision Making Award at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Excellence in the Environment Awards.

NSW Business Chamber Awards 2015

Council won the NSW Business Chamber’s 2015 Excellence in Sustainability Award in November 2015 for its successful efforts in saving energy.

2015 Banksia Sustainability Awards

Winner: Tweed Byron Koala Connections project

Tweed Shire Council was named a finalist for its Tweed Byron Koala Connections project, recognised for leadership, innovation and environmental outcomes in the awards’ ‘Natural Capital’ category.

Murwillumbah and District Garden Club 38th Annual Garden Competition

Winner: Tweed Valley Cemetery (1st prize) and Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery (second prize)

Large Commercial category.

Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards

A High Commendation was awarded by Local Government NSW in December 2014 for Council's efforts in sustainable procurement.

Green Globe Awards - Natural Environment Sustainability

Winner: Koala Connections program

Presented jointly to Tweed Shire Council and Byron Shire Council for Koala Connections program in November 2014.

RH Dougherty Awards for Communication - Reporting to Your Community

Presented by Local Government NSW in August 2014 for online communications, community engagement tools and development of an innovative internal Corporate Knowledge Base.

IMAGinE Award for excellence and innovation

Winner: Margaret Olley Art Centre

Presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW in November 2014 for Margaret Olley Art Centre.

Young Achiever of the Year - Local Government Aboriginal Network Conference

Winner: Trainee Case Manager Paris Robinson

Presented to Tweed Shire Council Trainee Case Manager Paris Robinson in September 2014.

Murwillumbah and District Garden Competition

Winner: Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery and Tweed Heads Lawn Cemetery

Large commercial gardens category' - First prize presented to Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery and second prize presented to Tweed Heads Lawn Cemetery in October 2014.

Museum & Galleries National Award (MAGNA)

Winner: Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre

In May 2015 Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre was presented with an award in the Permanent Exhibition or Gallery Fitout category for the development of the Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC).

NSW Local Government Excellence Awards

Winner: River Health Grant, Biodiversity Grant and Land for Wildlife Programs

In April 2015 Council received a ‘Highly Commended’ in the category of Excellence in Environmental Leadership and Sustainability for delivering the River Health Grant, Biodiversity Grant and Land for Wildlife Programs.

United Nations Association of Australia 2015 World Environment Day Awards

Council was announced a finalist in the ‘Best Specific Environmental Initiative’ category for Tweed Byron Koala Connections.

Local Government Arts and Culture Awards - Places for Arts and Culture: Improved cultural facilities

Presented by Local Government NSW in May 2014 for Tweed Regional Museum's success in bringing together three historical societies to form Tweed Regional Museum, the creation and upgrading of facilities to house the collection and new processes to improve the care and display of collection items.

IMAGinE Award - Collection Management Award

Presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW in November 2013 for a Tweed Regional Museum - Murwillumbah project to catalogue its entire collection, before putting the items in storage in preparation for an extension to the historic Murwillumbah museum.

Public Domain Awards - Precincts Award and Best Overall Project

Winner: Jack Evans Boat Harbour

Presented jointly to Tweed Shire Council and ASPECT Studios for Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads by Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia in September 2013.

NSW Business Chamber Awards - Excellence in Workplace Health & Safety regional award

Presented by NSW Business Chamber in June 2014 for a restructure of Council's workplace safety strategy and procedures which has achieved a 40 per cent reduction in compensable injuries since 2009, and a 45 per cent reduction in the amount of worker time lost to injuries.

NSW Local Government Arts and Culture Awards - Leading Arts and Culture: Enduring Staff Contribution to Arts and Culture

Winner: Tweed Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman

Presented to Tweed Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman in May for establishing the Gallery as a regional destination.

Local Government Excellence in the Environment Award - Sustainable Procurement in Practice - Best Project 2012

Presented by the Local Government and Shires Association in December 2012.

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Landscape Architecture Award for Design

Winner: Jack Evans Boat Harbour

Presented to Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads in September 2012. AILA is the peak national organisation for Australia's landscape architects.

Local Government Landcare Partnership Award

Winner: Tweed Byron Bush Futures Project

Presented by Landcare in September 2012. The Tweed Byron Bush Futures Project undertook bushland restoration works on more than 225 hectares of urban bushland at more than 50 sites, to address threats to bushland integrity in the Tweed and Byron shires.

A.R. Bluett Award (Shires Association)

Presented to Tweed Shire Council in October 2011 by the Trustees of the A.R. Bluett Memorial Trust, through the Local Government and Shires Association. This is the most prestigious local government award in NSW. Tweed Shire Council also received this award in 1975 and 1971.

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) NSW Medal for Landscape Architecture

Winner: Jack Evans Boat Harbour

Presented for Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads in December 2011.

Ruth Readford Award for Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Clive Easton

Presented to Council's long-serving Entomologist, Clive Easton, at the NSW Coastal Management Awards in November 2011.

Local Government Community Partnership Award

Winner: Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project

This NSW award was presented by Landcare in September 2011 for the Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project.

R.H. Dougherty Award for Excellence in Communication

Winner: Tweed Community Strategic Plan 2011/2016

This award was received for the community engagement campaign for the Tweed Community Strategic Plan 2011/2016 from the Local Government and Shires Association NSW in August 2011.

R.H. Dougherty Award - Outstanding Individual Contribution

Winner: Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Tiffany Stodart

Awarded to Council's Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Tiffany Stodart by the Local Government and Shires Association NSW in August 2011.

Good Communicators Awards - Best Publication

Winner: Tweed Link

Council's weekly newspaper, the Tweed Link, received this national award from Government Communications Australia in April 2011.

Northern Rivers Landcare Award - Local Government Landcare Partnership

Winner: Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project

This regional award was presented for the Tweed-Byron Bush Futures project by Northern Rivers Landcare and the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority in April 2011.

Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards (Highly Commended)

Winner: On-Ground Works for O'Brien's Bridge Replacement - Threatened Species Habitat Restoration

Division C Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement: On-Ground Works for O'Brien's Bridge Replacement - Threatened Species Habitat Restoration. This was awarded by the Local Government and Shires Association NSW in December 2010.

Food Surveillance Champion Award

Winner: Environmental Health Officer, Mark Longbottom

Presented to Environmental Health Officer, Mark Longbottom, by the NSW Food Authority in December 2010.

Urban Planning Achievement Commendation

Winner: Pottsville Locality Based Development Control Plan

Presented for the Pottsville Locality Based Development Control Plan by the Planning Institute of Australia in November 2011.

Engineering Excellence Awards

Winner: Bray Park Water Treatment Plant

The Bray Park Water Treatment Plant won an Excellence Award and the GHD Award for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering Excellence in September 2010, presented by the Newcastle Division of Engineers Australia.

R.H. Dougherty Award - Reporting to the Community

Winner: Tweed Link

Council's weekly newspaper, the Tweed Link, was presented this award by the Local Government and Shires Association NSW in August 2010.

National Trust Heritage Award - Cultural Heritage Corporate/Government (Highly Commended)

Winner: Families of Fortune: Chinese People in the Tweed

Presented in April 2010 for the project Families of Fortune: Chinese People in the Tweed.

Master Builders Gold Coast Region Housing and Construction Awards - Sporting and Community Service Facilities

Winner: Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre (TRAC)

Awarded for the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre (TRAC) in Murwillumbah in August 2009.

Museums and Galleries NSW Imagine Award

Winner: The Other Side of the World: Migration to the Tweed

Presented in November 2008 for the project The Other Side of the World: Migration to the Tweed.

Engineering Excellence Awards

Winner: Kingscliff Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Kingscliff Wastewater Treatment Plant was honoured with an Engineering Excellence Award and the RTA Award - Infrastructure Excellence in Regional Communities award by the Engineers Australia Newcastle Division in May 2009.

Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Award

Winner: The Other Side of the World - Migration to the Tweed

Presented for the project The Other Side of the world - Migration to the Tweed 1940s to 1960s by the National Trust in April 2009.

2007 Siemens Corporate Responsibility Award

Winner: The Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program

The Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program was part of a team which won an international award for a project which delivered clean, safe drinking water to a remote Kenyan community. The award was announced in December 2007.