Mackay Regional Council in Queensland has won the 2016 National Award for Excellence in Local Government for its work in improving the management of community water resources.
The Council's project—Transforming a Water Business—was selected for the premier award of the National Awards for Local Government from a pool of 10 different category winners previously announced in April 2016.
Under the project, the Council's Water & Waste Service Unit designed and implemented a water-use strategy which has succeeded in meeting the challenges posed by a growing local population.
Using a consumer-centric approach, the project's demand management program features ground-breaking automated metering infrastructure, which includes a freely accessible online portal to provide both the council and residents with detailed information about water consumption patterns.
This intelligent use of data has changed the way the Mackay Regional Council manages the local community's water resources, resulting in reduced residential water usage and associated costs for consumers.
Mackay Regional Council is now liaising with other councils to inspire similar initiatives.
The National Award for Excellence in Local Government 2016 recognises local government agencies nationwide for their dedication and innovation in delivering quality services to urban and regional communities.
In April this year the council's Transforming a Water Business project won the Digital Innovation in Local Government category, sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
For more information
National Awards for Local Government: www.infrastructure.gov.au/nalg