The winners of the Planning Institute of Australia’s annual National Awards for Planning Excellence on Wednesday night celebrated projects that deliver healthier environments, stronger community connections and resilient places.
National vice president and national awards convenor Rukshan de Silva said the winning projects this year focused on helping communities adapt to complex future challenges while improving the quality of life.
“Communities across Australia are increasingly facing climate pressures and environmental challenges, and planning plays a critical role in helping communities adapt and thrive,” de Silva said.
“These projects demonstrate how planning can strengthen resilience while also creating healthier, greener and more inclusive places.”
Notable winners
The climate vulnerable assessment for NSW primary industries by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development won the Climate Change and Resilience Award.
The project translated complex climate science into practical tools to help producers and policymakers respond to increasing risks across crops, livestock, fisheries and biosecurity. The judges said the project was a nationally significant benchmark in climate adaptation planning that would help safeguard Australia’s food security, regional economies and environmental assets.
NSW also took out the Planning with Country award, with its NSW Connecting with Country Framework by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. The project embeds Aboriginal culture, knowledge and values into planning and design decisions in its response to the growing impacts of drought, floods and climate pressures on communities and Country.
The Great Place award was won by the Archerfield Wetlands Parkland by Brisbane Sustainability Agency, for transforming a contaminated and underutilised land into a biodiverse and community-focused landscape supporting climate resilience, active transport and stronger community connections.
The judges said the projects delivered an outstanding “great place” that demonstrated viability, secured meaningful stakeholder buy-in, while providing a clear and transferable model for other local governments looking to do the same.
Winning the Stakeholder Engagement Award was Calming the Storm by the Merri-bek City Council and Engeny, a framework for urban stormwater mapping.
The project helped more than 10,000 landowners navigate complex urban flood mapping through empathetic, multilingual and community-centred engagement processes that strengthened local resilience and trust. The judges said the work not only strengthened local resilience, inspired Melbourne Water and other councils to replicate its success, but will also reshape planning practices nationwide.
Several students from the University of Melbourne’s Master of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Architecture took out the Tertiary Student Project award for a placemaking project in Tonga, which transforms a disaster-affected site into a culturally inspired playground and community gathering place designed to foster healing, resilience and belonging.
According to de Silva, the project focuses on long term resilience, nature-based solutions and deeper engagement with communities and Traditional Custodians.
“Good planning is about creating places where people feel connected, supported and resilient in the face of change,” he said. “Whether it’s restoring natural environments, planning with Country or creating stronger community spaces, these projects show how planning is key to better outcomes and everyday quality of life.”
The Fifth Estate will moderate a session at the Planning Institute of Australia awards on Friday.