Mayoral Column – Community focus and leadership on show

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Improving lives and experiences for the growing Penrith community is at the core of what Penrith City Council does. In continuing to deliver for this City and its people, I am thrilled to share that 9 Council projects and initiatives are finalists in the 2026 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards.

Success at these awards would follow our 2025 win, which earned Council the Community Development Award for our One Community, Many Abilities campaign. Reaching more than 1.5m people, it told the stories of 5 residents with visible and invisible disabilities to highlight their diverse experiences, talents and contributions to Penrith.

These awards honour councils driving meaningful change. Council’s 2026 nominations span 8 categories and reflect the scope of our community-focused work.

The visionary St Marys Town Centre Master Plan – set to transform St Marys over 20 years through major investment in housing, jobs and infrastructure - is nominated in the Innovative Leadership category.

The transformation of Regatta Park, now a hive of activity, is up for an Asset and Infrastructure Award. A key project in Council’s Our River Masterplan, it was delivered in partnership with the Australian and NSW Governments.

Council’s Caring for Country Program is another finalist, recognising Council's ongoing efforts to strengthen connection to Country. Working with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations through partnerships with other councils and agencies, we recently supported the delivery of cultural burns and established a Junior Ranger Program for local students.

We’re up for an Environment Leadership award for the 2025-26 Penrith Wild Photo Competition which connected the community to nature and celebrated our City’s biodiversity.

Councils tackle widespread social issues too and it’s an honour to be nominated for our involvement in the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Service Expo, as well as our contribution to the Penrith Sector Connect, that convenes on local issues.

We’re also nominated for improving waste contamination management, a partnership project with Wollondilly Shire Council to streamline planning and developments, and an initiative focused on staff wellbeing.

This year’s winners will be announced on 4 June. Read our achievements at penrith.city/awards.

Cr Todd Carney
Mayor of Penrith

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Wednesday, 27 May 2026.