25 Jul 2016
Local Government New Zealand is delighted to announce New Plymouth City Council as the winner of a local government arts and culture EXCELLENCE Award for its work in establishing the Len Lye Centre.
The Council won the Creative New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Best Creative Place at the LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards in Dunedin last night. The awards, now in their third year, recognise and celebrate the outstanding leadership role local government plays within communities. More than 600 delegates from local and central government, and stakeholders, celebrated the outstanding leadership role local government plays within communities.
The Best Creative Place award recognises the contribution arts and culture initiatives can make towards creating a more prosperous town, city, district or region.
Judges praised the Len Lye Centre – which houses some of the collection and archive of the internationally renowned artist – “as an internationally significant place for the city which recognises one of New Zealand’s preeminent sons.”
Judges said the Centre was a wonderful partner for the Puke Ariki Museum, and acknowledged the commitment from the community in raising funds for it.
LGNZ President Lawrence Yule says the award recognises the Council’s execution of a brilliant and much anticipated plan.
“The Len Lye Centre is a jewel for New Plymouth and all of New Zealand,” he says.
Judges for the awards are former Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast, Chair of EQC Sir Maarten Wevers and The New Zealand Initiative’s Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich.
LGNZ EXCELLENCE Award winners
Local government does a critical but often unsung job in a region, town or city. The LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards were designed to recognise and celebrate the outstanding leadership role local government plays within communities. Awards categories and winners in this year’s awards are:
Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Engagement
Winner: Hamilton City Council – Hamilton Central City Safety Plan
Hamilton City is restoring public confidence in the safety of its CBD with a two-pronged approach to address anti-social behaviour and homelessness.
Highly commended: Christchurch City Council: Dudley Creek – Long Term Flood Remediation Project and
Rotorua Lakes Council – Te Arawa Partnership Project.
MartinJenkins EXCELLENCE Award for Best Practice Contribution to Local Economic Development
Winner: Kawerau District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council – Seamless Boundaries – Kawerau and Matamata-Piako District Councils partnered with local industry and Government Agencies to deliver a programme that helped a business in Te Aroha prosper and changed lives in Kawerau.
Chorus EXCELLENCE Award for Best Practice in Infrastructure Management
Winner: Southland District Council – Changing Direction, The Way Forward for Southland’s Roads – The project is about using new technology, resource allocation tools and procurement methods to make smart decisions on managing Southland District roads.
Highly Commended: Hamilton City Council – Low River Contingency Project, Napier City Council – Marine Parade Outfall and Viewing Platform and Westland District Council – Water Water Everywhere. Nor Any Drop to Drink (Blue Spur Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project).
Air New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Environmental Impact
Winner: Auckland Council – Hunua Ranges Pest Management Programme – A major pest control effort to protect the future of Hunua Ranges and its treasured native species.
Highly Commended: Bay of Plenty Regional Council – Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy Implementation and West Coast Regional Council – The Lake Brunner Water Quality Enhancement Project.
Creative New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Best Creative Place
Winner: New Plymouth District Council – Len Lye Centre – The newly created Len Lye Centre at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth is one of the most internationally heralded arts and culture construction projects in recent years.
Highly commended: Dunedin City Council – Ara Toi Otepoti – Dunedin’s Arts and Culture Strategy and
Hamilton City Council – Community Transforms a City Dump.
MartinJenkins Judges’ Choice Award for Outstanding Value and Service Delivery
Winner: Rotorua Lakes Council – Te Arawa Partnership Project – The project took a collaborative approach to establishing an innovative, strategic and enduring partnership between Te Arawa, the predominant iwi confederation of Rotorua district, and Rotorua Lakes Council.
EXCELLENCE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government
Winner: Former Wellington mayor and councillor Kerry Prendergast – Kerry Prendergast was elected to the Tawa Borough Council in 1986, sparking a 24-year career in local government, including 20 years on the Wellington City Council with three terms as mayor.
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