Wairoa District Council won big for a project safely disposing of abandoned vehicles across its district. Photo / Supplied
Wairoa District Council won big for a project safely disposing of abandoned vehicles across its district. Photo / Supplied
Hastings, Wairoa and Napier councils have won top accolades at the 2022 Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards, including for digitally replicating the Hawke's Bay Opera House.
The annual Taituarā Awards recognise excellence in local government projects across the country, with eight category winners announced on Wednesday.
Hastings District Council won two categories, Wairoa District Council won one category, and Napier City Council was selected to represent the country at an Australasian final for a management challenge.
Hastings District Council took out the Datacom Award for Transforming Service Delivery for its impressive project that will see every council-owned building "digitally twinned".
The council is digitising all its public buildings and recording them as a 3D replica.
The Opera House in Hastings was the first to be replicated and the Municipal Building is next in line.
The Opera House in Hastings has been digitally replicated as part of a council project. Photo / Supplied
Among the benefits of the project, it will simplify maintenance planning and work by giving "asset managers access to every detail of a building at just one click", a council statement read.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council owned more than 140 buildings and structures.
"We are the first council in New Zealand to employ this technology for day-to-day asset operations and management."
Hastings council also won the Beca Award for Placemaking for its project It's Flaxmere's Time.
It pulled together multiple partners to develop a programme that includes building hundreds of homes, a park and playground development, expanded health, wellbeing, and sporting opportunities, and social services expansion in Flaxmere.
Hazlehurst said the 2022 awards were an acknowledgement of all of the excellent work going on in Hawke's Bay, with other councils also winning big.
The GHD Award for Environmental Leadership went to Wairoa District Council for its project Toi te whenua, Manaaki ki te whenua.
That project provides a solution to the problem of abandoned vehicles in the district.
Wairoa District Council co-ordinated the removal and safe disposal of about 800 abandoned cars from the district.
Meanwhile, Napier City Council won the New Zealand leg of the JLT Australasian Management Challenge, and will now go on to represent the country in the Australasian finals in Adelaide in August.
Teams undertook hands-on and real-life activities designed to test their management skills as a group and as individuals.
The winning team, Veronica Bells from Napier City Council, was announced on Wednesday.
