2025 Finalists and Winners
In 2025, the inaugural MAVlab Innovation Awards recognised finalists and winners across 16 diverse categories.
On Wednesday 8 October 2025, we celebrated the people and projects driving change across Victoria. Spanning climate resilience, AI and cost‑saving, scalable solutions, the awards showcased how councils are delivering innovation with real community impact.
Discover the 2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards winners and finalists below, then dive into their case studies to learn more.
2025 Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Award: Leader
- Amanda Kern (Nillumbik Shire Council, Yarra Ranges Shire Council) WINNER
- Christian Stefani, South Gippsland Shire Council FINALIST
- Simon McMillan, Whitehorse City Council FINALIST
2025 Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Award: Emerging Leader
- Tavis Vallance, Boroondara City Council WINNER
- Jay Smith, Mildura Rural City Council FINALIST
- Margie McKay, Greater Geelong City Council FINALIST
- Scot Walker, Greater Dandenong City Council FINALIST
The Connector Award for Community Inclusion and Cohesion
- Merri-bek Democracy Lab (Merri-bek City Council) WINNER
- #Proud2Be (Greater Dandenong City Council) FINALIST
- Community Infrastructure for Flood Recovery and Resilience (Mount Alexander Shire Council) FINALIST
- Our Country, Our Way - Embedding Indigenous Perspectives in Land and Emergency Management (Yarra Ranges Shire Council) FINALIST
- Shaping the Future of Noojee (Baw Baw Shire Council) FINALIST
The Energiser Award for Climate Resilience and Adaptation
- Solar Saver (Darebin City Council) WINNER
- Climate Action Living Lab (CALL) (Casey City Council) FINALIST
- Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (Darebin City Council) FINALIST
- Private Electric Vehicle Kerbside Charging Project (Port Phillip City Council) FINALIST
The Engage Award for Impactful and Inclusive Storytelling
- Peninsula Tales (Mornington Peninsula Shire Council) WINNER
- Bass Coast Homelessness Think Tank FINALIST
- BayBot (Bayside City Council) FINALIST
- Beach Safety: Innovation and Collaboration in Bass Coast FINALIST
- Mallee Women: Sharing Stories, Shaping Equality (Mildura Rural City Council) FINALIST
- Open Data Exchange Insights Pages (Casey City Council) FINALIST
The Fin-novation Award for Financial Ingenuity
- Smart Asset Monitoring at Casey Fields (Casey City Council) WINNER
- Caring Across Communities (Glen Eira City Council, Bayside City Council) FINALIST
- Shaping the Future of Noojee (Baw Baw Shire Council) FINALIST
The Future is Maintenance Award for Asset Management
- Melbourne's Stormwater Sensing Pilot (Melbourne City Council) WINNER
- Public Art Conservation Program (Ballarat City Council) FINALIST
- Renewals for Nature (Melbourne City Council) FINALIST
The Insights Award for Leadership in Data-driven Decision-making
- Knowledge Bank Working Group (Melbourne City Council) WINNER
- Learning & Development Team, City of Melbourne
The Now and Forever Award for Impact and Legacy
- Solar Saver (Darebin City Council) WINNER
- Growing Our Own Early Years Workforce (Corangamite Shire Council) FINALIST
- The Harbour: Social Housing Pilot (Darebin City Council) FINALIST
The Refuge Award for Innovation in Safe Spaces for Community
- Make Room (Melbourne City Council) WINNER
- The Harbour: Social Housing Pilot (Darebin City Council) FINALIST
- Safe Haven (Mornington Peninsula Shire Council) FINALIST
The Sandbox Award for Experimentation Practice
- Living Labs (Casey City Council) WINNER
- Banyule's 1000 Jobs Project (Banyule City Council) FINALIST
- Mornington Peninsula Shire AI Experimentation Journey FINALIST
The Smooth Sailing Award for Service Optimisation and CX
- Mitchell Shire Council Gender Impact Assessment App WINNER
- BayBot (Bayside City Council) FINALIST
- 'My Mitchell' Mobile App (Mitchell Shire Council) FINALIST
- MyLot (Yarra Ranges Shire Council) FINALIST
- Smart Start (Casey City Council) FINALIST
The Stronger Together Award for Council Collaboration
- Welcome Baby to Wurundjeri Country Ceremony (Brimbank City Council, Maribyrnong City Council) WINNER
- Bass Coast Homelessness Think Tank FINALIST
- Timber Transition: Upper Yarra Local Development Strategy (Yarra Ranges Shire Council) FINALIST
The Systems and Cycles Award for Regenerative Design
- Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (Darebin City Council) WINNER
- Queen Victoria Market Circular Economy Precinct (Melbourne City Council) FINALIST
- Soft Plastics Circular Contract (Brimbank City Council) FINALIST
The Thrive Award for Leadership in Change Management
- Lisa Ippolito, Whitehorse City Council WINNER
- Banyule's Continuous Improvement Team (Banyule City Council) FINALIST
- Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Project Team, Manningham City Council FINALIST
- Learning & Development Team, City of Melbourne FINALIST
- Tavis Vallance, Boroondara City Council FINALIST
The Wellbeing Award for Community Health Impacts
- #Filtered Body Image Project (Greater Dandenong City Council) WINNER
- Gendering in a New Era in Sport Project (Mildura Rural City Council) FINALIST
- The Harbour: Social Housing Pilot (Darebin City Council) FINALIST
- Mallee Women: Sharing Stories, Shaping Equality (Mildura Rural City Council) FINALIST