Help Council win a Planning Excellence award

Published on 27 October 2026

Gannawarra Shire Council is in the running to win a prestigious planning award, and you can help the Gannawarra be recognised.

Council’s Planning for Transformation: Building Strategic Planning Capacity for Gannawarra's Future has been nominated in the People’s Choice category of the 2026 Planning Institute Australia Victoria Awards for Planning Excellence, with voting open until Friday, 13 November.

“The Victorian Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate planners and teams who have shown exceptional commitment, innovation, and achievement across diverse sectors, so to be recognised as part of this program is a credit to all who work in our Planning team,” Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

Planning for Transformation: Building Strategic Planning Capacity for Gannawarra's Future is Council’s planning response to the economic transformation the municipality is experiencing, with renewable energy, mining and other emerging industries creating new opportunities for investment and pressures on current services.

The initiative involved appointing a dedicated Strategic Planner and establishing a six-year strategic planning reform program to ensure the planning scheme, growth planning, infrastructure and township development are aligned with the Gannawarra's future.

“The Gannawarra is already seeing the benefits of these works, thanks to our Planning Scheme Review and Urban Growth Strategy and Addendum, as well as the identification of three priority township structure plans,” Mr Rollinson said.

“Importantly, the initiative is focusing on implementation rather than simply producing strategic documents. An example of this is the work Council is undertaking with the Koondrook township to progress structure planning, identify local priorities and pursue external funding to support delivery.

“Nearly 60 initiatives are in line for this award, and to be recognised alongside some of the State’s largest councils, State Government departments and large developers is testament to the dedication of our staff.”

You can nominate Council for the People’s Choice award by voting at https://www.planning.org.au/pia/pia/awards/Awards-for-Planning-Excellence---Nominees/VIC%202026.aspx and finding the Planning for Transformation: Building Strategic Planning Capacity for Gannawarra's Future under the Nominations M-Z section. Award winners will be announced during the 2026 Planning Institute Australia Victoria Awards for Planning Excellence ceremony, occurring on Friday, 27 November.