Council recognised for excellence by Greater Sydney Commission

Monday, 2 July 2018

Penrith City Council has won two planning excellence awards for The Quarter and Cooling the City along with receiving a commendation for The Village Café at the Greater Sydney Commission Planning Awards held on Tuesday night.

Penrith City Council has won two planning excellence awards for The Quarter and Cooling the City along with receiving a commendation for The Village Café at the Greater Sydney Commission Planning Awards held on Tuesday night.

The Greater Sydney Planning Awards, presented by Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts, and Greater Sydney Commission Chief Commissioner Lucy Turnbull AO, covered six categories recognising excellence in planning and place-making.

Penrith Mayor John Thain said the awards recognise Council's commitment to planning and a sustainable future for Penrith.

"These awards capture Council's vision and aspirations for Penrith," Cr Thain said.

"The Penrith Health and Education Precinct, The Quarter has been nurtured through collaboration across the nine key stakeholders to deliver significantly better patient outcomes through linking Education with Health for bench to bedside innovations.

"The organisations that make up The Quarter provide two thirds of all jobs in the Penrith area."

"Recognition for Council's Cooling the City strategy is the combined effort from across Council to think about the issues of urban heat and how we can make Penrith a more liveable place now and into the future," Cr Thain said.

Results for Penrith include:

PLANNING FOR JOBS AND SKILLS - Winner: The Quarter

The Quarter is a fantastic example of cross-government collaboration underpinned by broad engagement and clear direction. The health and education precinct is home to knowledge-intensive jobs, with strong potential to be an economic engine for the Western City.

Penrith City Council has taken a commendable holistic approach, ensuring The Quarter is also an attractive community social hub. The judging panel applauds the positive steps taken to ensure there is a balance between residential opportunities and jobs within the local government area.

GREAT SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE - Winner: Cooling the City

Penrith City Council's Cooling the City strategy demonstrates strong local government leadership in the sustainability space and a practical approach to achieving positive outcomes for Penrith.

The judging panel commends the tangible efforts made and results already achieved by Council. These include: 99,000 new plants, educating and engaging residents, employing sustainable building practices and strategic partnerships to create a more environmentally resilient region.

GREAT COMMUNITY COLLABORATION - Commendation: The Village Café

Penrith City Council's Village Café project is a thoughtful way of caring for members of the community who may otherwise feel left behind in a rapidly changing city.

The 'relationship first' community engagement model respects the knowledge, strengths and lived experience of community members and has created an atmosphere of trust.

The Commission commends the project team's efforts to build a strong sense of community and deal innovatively with social isolation.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Monday, 2 July 2018.