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MAVlab awards highlight council innovation

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At the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) we’ve talked a lot about council innovation and the need for the sector to adapt to the challenges of now and the future.

From creating liveable spaces in Melbourne's CBD to new ways to manage sporting assets in growing suburbs and building climate resilience in regional communities, there’s nothing quite like seeing it in action.

The MAVlab Innovation Awards has afforded an unrivalled opportunity to highlight many exciting programs and projects across the state.

MAV President Cr Jennifer Anderson said shining a spotlight on the fantastic work happening within the sector was a crucial role of the MAV.

“As the peak body for the sector, the MAV is uniquely positioned to highlight this wonderful work. Innovation is at the heart of so much of our work as a sector and both the winners and all entrants are brilliant examples,” Cr Anderson said.

MAVlab Chief Innovator in Residence Bonnie Shaw said these councils deserved to be in the spotlight for their incredible work.

“The purpose of the MAVlab Innovation Awards was to uncover and shine a light on the amazing council projects and people serving their communities - in areas of work that don’t always get a lot of recognition. Victorian councils have truly stepped up to this challenge and shined brighter than we could’ve possibly imagined.”

“Congratulations to all the winners and to all the councils who put an entry for an award. We had more than 160 entrants over 16 diverse categories, which speaks to the richness of innovative work happening across the local government sector,” Ms Shaw explained.

In addition to the amazing entries, MAVlab was thrilled to attract such an array of esteemed judges to decide the awards. These included industry experts, former councillors, and Victorian Aboriginal News Editor Uncle Charles Pakana.

Uncle Charles said he was thrilled to be part of the process.

"Local Government initiatives should reflect the needs - stated and otherwise - and aspirations of the communities they serve. It's uplifting that in this year's submissions there were so many that clearly demonstrated a commitment from nominees to meet those needs and aspirations by thinking outside the box."

2025 Innovation Pro Bono Publico Award: Leader, supported by Swinburne University of Technology

  • Amanda Kern, Yarra Ranges Shire Council.

2025 Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Award: Emerging Leader,supported by Leadership Victoria

  • Tavis Vallance, Boroondara City Council.

The Thrive Award forLeadership in Change Management, supported by Swinburne University of Technology

  • Lisa Ippolito, Whitehorse City Council.

The Insights Award for Leadership in Data-driven Decision-making, supported by SenSen AI

  • Knowledge Bank Working Group, Melbourne City Council.

The Connector Award for Community Inclusion and Cohesion, supported by NBN Co

  • Merri-bek Democracy Lab, Merri-bek City Council.

The Wellbeing Award for Community Health Impacts, supported by VicHealth

  • #Filtered Body Image Project, Greater Dandenong City Council.

The Energiser Award for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, supported by Clean Energy Council

  • Solar Saver, Darebin City Council.

The Systems and Cycles Award for Regenerative Design, supported by RMIT University

  • Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre, Darebin City Council.

The Now and Forever Award for Impact and Legacy, supported by Australian Red Cross

  • Solar Saver, Darebin City Council.

The Stronger Together Award for Council Collaboration, supported by JLT Public Sector

  • Welcome Baby to Wurundjeri Country Ceremony, Brimbank City Council and Maribyrnong City Council.

The Engage Award for Impactful and Inclusive Storytelling, supported by Fireside

  • Peninsula Tales, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

The Future is Maintenance Award for Asset Management, supported by Matter

  • Melbourne’s Stormwater Sensing Pilot, Melbourne City Council.

The Smooth Sailing Award for Service Optimisation and CX, supported by LANDATA® operated by SERV

  • Mitchell Shire Council Gender Impact Assessment App, Mitchell Shire Council.

The Refuge Award for Innovation in Safe Spaces for Community, supported by Neighbourhood Houses Victoria

  • Make Room, Melbourne City Council.

The Sandbox Award for Experimentation Practice, supported by Breakthrough Victoria

  • Living Labs, Casey City Council.

The Fin-novation Award for Financial Ingenuity, supported by Finpro

  • Smart Asset Monitoring at Casey Fields, Casey City Council.

- ENDS -

General Media Enquiries

MAV Communications: comms@mav.asn.au

Photograph Requests

To request specific professional photographs from the event, please contact Jessica Greer, Marketing & Communications Lead: jgreer@mav.asn.au

More information

About MAVlab

MAVlab is the innovation hub of the Municipal Association of Victoria. Working with 79 councils across the state, MAVlab leads collaborative projects and experiments that strengthen community resilience, enable councils to adapt to complex challenges, and design future-fit approaches to local government.

About MAV

The MAV is a membership association and the legislated peak body for local government in Victoria. We are a driving and influential force behind a strong and strategically positioned local government sector.

We offer diverse business services to our council members including specialist policy and advocacy, governance and legislative advice, sector development, insurance and procurement services.

The success of the MAV stems from its people, and we pride ourselves on having a quality team of staff and consultants to ensure our members’ needs are met.