MidCoast Council has taken home three major honours at the 2026 Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence Awards in Sydney.
Council won the Strategic/Enterprise Risk category for its Integrated Strategic Assurance Map, while its Transport Operations Risk Management and Resilience Program won the Technological Innovation category and was the overall winner for the Metropolitan and Large Regional Council award submission.
The awards recognise NSW councils demonstrating innovation and leadership in the development and implementation of risk management programs.
MidCoast Council General Manager Adrian Panuccio said the awards recognised innovative approaches that were helping Council deliver better outcomes for the community.
"To win across two categories and then receive the overall award is fantastic recognition of the work happening across our organisation," Mr Panuccio said.
"These initiatives are helping us make better decisions, target our resources where they are needed most and deliver more resilient and reliable services for our community."
Council's Transport Operations Risk Management and Resilience Program uses new technology to identify and record road defects, helping Council better plan and prioritise road maintenance and repairs.
Using Asset AI technology, cameras mounted on garbage trucks capture information about road defects as they travel across the region.
More than 60,000 road defects have already been identified through the program, which make up a significant part of the estimated $330 million in claims for damage sustained to the MidCoast Council road network during the May 2025 flood.
Mr Panuccio said the value of the technology was particularly evident following the May 2025 floods.
"The information collected through Asset AI gave us detailed evidence of the condition of our road network before and after the floods, allowing us to clearly identify and verify the damage," he said.
"We have identified roughly an additional $50 million in damage that we can claim because of this technology - damage we may not otherwise have known about or been able to prove.
"That means we have stronger evidence to pursue the funding needed to repair our roads and restore the network for our communities."
Council's Integrated Strategic Assurance Map was recognised in the Strategic/Enterprise Risk category.
The tool brings together information about Council's major strategic risks, how they are being managed and how progress is monitored. This helps Council make informed decisions, focus resources where they are needed and allows Council to continue delivering services the community relies on.
It is regularly reviewed and refined through Council's Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC), helping Council respond to current and emerging risks and strengthen organisational resilience.
"These awards are great recognition of the staff behind this work and their commitment to finding better ways to manage risk and deliver for our community," Mr Panuccio said.
The winners were announced at the Statewide Mutual Risk Management Conference on Thursday 20 August 2026.
