The NSW Local Government Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and promote innovation and continuous improvement within NSW local government.

They were held in Sydney last week, with Lachlan Shire Shire Council coming away with recognition for their efforts in the Condobolin Improved Freight Logistics and Visitor Information Centre Project.

Lachlan Shire Council were nominated in the Asset and Infrastructure Awards and came away with a Highly Commended.

The Asset and Infrastructure Award recognises initiatives that maximise benefits to the community and showcases projects that develop and manage community assets. The award attracted strong nominations across two population-based categories.

Lachlan Shire were the only shire in the western plains region to be nominated in this section.

Described as a tremendous milestone for the shire, the Condobolin Improved Freight Logistics and Visitor Information Centre was officially opened in November, 2023.

The overall project involved the reconstruction and betterment of 9km of road, including augmentation of the Lachlan Valley Way from Willow Bend Road to Murie Creek to improve flood immunity and provide a transport route for heavy vehicles when the Newell Highway is closed due to flooding or incidents. This came at a cost of $8.5 million.

The project also included the development of the Utes in the Paddock Tourism Precinct, which is now home to a new Visitor Information Centre, Jockey’s Memorial Garden, a heavy vehicle rest area and new traveller rest facilities.

The Condobolin Improved Freight Logistics and Visitor Information Centre Project was made possible through grant funding of approximately $15.5 million to bolster tourism and transport in the Shire.

 Lachlan Shire Council Mayor Cr Paul Phillips was ecstatic about the award.

"It’s really exciting to see Council’s efforts recognised at a state level and it is something to be extremely proud of," Mr Phillips said. "The project was a tremendous milestone for the shire and will have long-term benefits for residents and visitors alike.”

It's an impressive achievement For Lachlan Shire as they were up against some strong competition in their section -  projects valued over $1.5 million in local government areas with a population under 150,000 residents.

Randwick City Council, Tweed Shire Council, Tamworth Regional Council and Cabonne Council made up a field of ten nominations. The winner on the night was the City of Canada Bay (population over 90,000) with their $84 million Concord Oval Community and Sports Precinct development.

The only other local shire to be a finalist in an award category was Gilgandra in the Borderless Communities section for their Real Country: A Strategic Blend of Natural Beauty, Tourism, and Infrastructure in Orana Region NSW project.