Share

We See You Shine Mixtape!

Stories from MAVlab Innovation Award partners and councils that will challenge, inspire and spark new thinking.

Across three lunchtimes in June 2026, we hosted a series of talks to celebrate Victorian local government’s greatest innovation hits.

As part of the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards, this three‑part series shined a light on innovation leaders and the impactful work they are delivering. Each session featured stories from councils and award partners, showcasing how they are responding to challenges and driving meaningful change.

Catch-up on the sessions below to get inspired.

Learn more about the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Award Partners.

Learn more about all our 2025 winners and finalists in the MAVlab Innovation Case Study Library.

Session 1: Leading From Within: Capability, Culture and Systems

Learn more about the case studies shared in this session:

  1. An Executive Leadership Team That Looks Like Greater Dandenong, Davidson, 2026 Premier Partner
  2. Pioneering Innovation, Enabling Solutions, Amanda Kern, 2025 winner Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Award: Leader, Nillumbik Shire Council
  3. Welcome Baby to Wurundjeri Country Ceremony, 2025 winner The Stronger Together Award, Brimbank and Maribyrnong City Councils
  4. Mitchell Shire GIA App, 2025 winner The Smooth Sailing Award, Mitchell Shire Council
  5. How Moorabool Shire Streamlined Services and Embraced AI, Datacom, 2026 Award Partner, The Skilled to Serve Award
  6. Redefining Council Culture by Making Innovation Real and Repeatable, Tavis Vallance, 2025 winner Innovatio Pro Bono Publico: Emerging Leader, Boroondara City Council

Session 2: Working with Community: Stories, Connection and Wellbeing

Learn more about the case studies shared in this session:

  1. Peninsula Tales, 2025 winner The Engage Award, Mornington Peninsula Shire
  2. Co-designing a vape-prevention campaign for Gippsland youth, Ylab, 2026 Award Partner, The Connector Award
  3. Merri-bek Democracy Lab, 2025 winner The Connector Award, Merri-bek City Council
  4. #Filtered Body Image Project, 2025 winner The Wellbeing Award, City of Greater Dandenong
  5. Delivering peace of mind and $2M+ in excess refunds to Victoria’s Local Government employees, Choosewell, 2026 Award Partner, The Wellbeing Award

Session 3: Shaping Places and Programs that Last: Infrastructure, Planning and Partnerships

Learn more about the case studies shared in this session:

  1. Community Protection Mutual, JLT Public Sector, 2026 Premier Partner
  2. The Harbour Social Housing Pilot, finalist 2025 The Refuge Award, City of Darebin
  3. Turning Street Audits into Living Data Across Four Councils, SenSen Networks, 2026 Award Partner, The Dollars and Sense Award
  4. Better Community Outcomes Through Infrastructure, Infrastructure Sustainability Council, 2026 Award Partner, The Horizon Award
  5. Regenerative Minor Challenge Course, RMIT Regenerative Futures Institute, 2026 Award Partner, The Storytelling Award
  6. Melbourne’s Stormwater Sensing, 2025 winner The Future is Maintenance Award City of Melbourne
  7. Smart Stormwater Monitoring at Scale, Matter, 2026 Award Partner, The Resilient Infrastructure Award
  8. Smoothing the ERP Journey at Local Government, Atturra, 2026 Award Partner, The Smooth Operator Award