Council achieves continued success at Local Government Week awards
Published on 11 August 2026
Narrabri Shire Council has continued its success at the Local Government Week awards, receiving this year’s Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Project Award and the prestigious RH Dougherty Excellence in Communication Award (Reporting to Your Community).
This year marks the first time Narrabri Shire has been recognised for the Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Project (Population under 30,000), which was awarded for the Vandalised to Vibrant Community Mural Project.
The project saw the transformation of the vandalism-prone Narrabri Creek Bridge underpass into a community mural as well as youth-led concrete bollard murals (pictured).
Delivered through an artist-led co-design with students and community participants, the mural project was part of Council’s flagship event, NarraBRIGHT 2026. The artworks celebrate Narrabri’s identity, character and connection to place while fostering community ownership. Since the murals’ commissioning, no further vandalism has occurred.
Narrabri Shire Council also received the Dougherty Excellence in Communication Award relating to its communications in response to the PFAS impacts. Council was recognised for using a range of communication platforms to provide timely, accessible information regarding PFAS to the community and keeping residents informed and involved.
Mayor Darrell Tiemens said the ongoing recognition of Narrabri Shire through the Local Government Week awards demonstrated the commitment and dedication of Council staff.
“I’m very proud that Council continues to be recognised through these awards, which also reflect the hard work of our staff.
“In an environment where many residents are feeling the cost-of-living pressures and Council maintaining a conservative financial approach, these awards demonstrate the achievement of real results in a very cost-effective way,” Mayor Tiemens said.
“It further demonstrates that it’s not about throwing money at a problem – but being strategic.
“For example, we love it when we can turn a problem like tagging and graffiti into a positive message to the community,” Mayor Tiemens added.
“During the NarraBRIGHT festival, myself, Councillors and Council staff were so happy at the response that young families had towards the underpass. You could see the young kids thoroughly enjoying being part of the mural project.”
Narrabri Shire General Manager Eloise Chaplain said the RH Dougherty Excellence in Communication Award for Navigating PFAS and Water Restrictions, further reflected a cost-conscious approach to delivering a highly effective community information campaign.
“This particular campaign showed that through the effective use of resources and multiple communication platforms, Council was able to deliver timely and clear information around a complex issue,” Mrs. Chaplain said.
“The campaign further enabled Council to respond directly to community concerns and questions in real time via social media, providing consistent information.
“This proactive approach saw a reduction in the amount of customer service enquiries regarding PFAS and water restrictions,” Mrs Chaplain added.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Narrabri Shire Council activities have been recognised at the Local Government NSW Awards.
Previous awards included the 2025 RH Dougherty Excellence in Communication for the Narrabri Shire Olympic Activation Campaign.
In 2024 Narrabri Shire received multiple awards for the community-facing online flood management portal, the "Good Talk Great Mate" podcast, and an individual contribution award for Gillian Goddard. In 2023, the Exchange Business Activator (TEBA) Program was a winner.
More information, including summaries and key learnings/results of the award-winning projects, can be found on the Local Government Week Awards website.