Events and training

Victorian Councillor Service Awards

Nominations for the 2025 Councillor Service Awards are now open and will close at 5:00pm on Friday, 5 September 2025.

Award recipients will be recognised at this year’s MAV Annual Councillor Service Awards Gala Dinner, taking place on Thursday, 9 October 2025, at the Park Hyatt Melbourne.

Award Categories

  1. Years of Service
    • This award recognises any serving councillor who has completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 years of cumulative service as a councillor in Victoria.
    • Eligible service may be across multiple municipalities and does not need to be consecutive.
  2. Mayor Emeritus
    • Awarded to any serving councillor who has completed three full terms as Mayor in Victoria.
    • This award can only be received once by a councillor.

Eligibility Criteria

  • A full term as Mayor is defined as 12 months, from November to October, with allowances made for shortened terms during election years as set by the VEC.
  • Approved leaves of absence (e.g., parental leave, extended sick leave, campaigning for political office) are counted as part of the service and do not impact eligibility.

How to Nominate

  1. Submit your nomination via the online form by COB Friday, 5 September 2025.
    Late submissions will not be accepted.
  2. Upload a professional headshot of the nominated councillor or mayor in JPEG or PNG format with the online form.
  3. Nominations must be certified by the CEO and can only be submitted by the CEO or a council officer acting on their behalf (e.g., Executive Assistant, Governance Manager, or Councillor Support Officer).
  4. The listed council contact will receive an email confirming receipt of the nomination and photo.
  5. Once the nomination has been ratified, a confirmation email will be sent to both the council contact and the award recipient.

For further information please contact sedev@mav.asn.au.

Previous Award Recipients