It's three from three for Clarence Valley Council, with all nominated projects securing finalist spots at the 2026 Local Government Excellence Awards, including the Yamba Library and Community Centre, Council's internal staff Health and Wellbeing Expo, and Council's Accelerated Development Application Service.
Clarence Valley Council's General Manager, Laura Black, couldn't be happier that all three projects were named finalists.
"Our teams put so much time and effort into these projects for our community. The majority of staff live and breathe the Clarence Valley, so to see their hard work rewarded like this is just great."
The Yamba Library and Community Centre has been named a finalist in the Asset and Infrastructure – Over $1.5 million (Population under 100,000) category for the delivery of the new modern, multipurpose facility designed to address long-standing gaps in cultural, education and social infrastructure in the Lower Clarence.
"Yamba is a coastal centre that is forecast to grow by more than 28% in the next 20 years," Ms Black said.
"Prior to this project, the Treelands Drive Community Centre and the former Yamba Library were operating at capacity and no longer met service benchmarks, community expectations or accessibility standards.
"Council responded by developing the Yamba Community Precinct, which integrates a new library built to State Library of NSW standards with a modern community centre."
The $18.6 million facility opened in July 2025 and includes a flexible hall, meeting rooms, gallery and exhibition space, youth areas, children's spaces, private offices, and an indoor landscaped courtyard designed to encourage community connection.
Council's Accelerated Development Application Service was also named a finalist in the Special Project Initiative (Population under 100,000) category for its innovative solution to addressing delays affecting low-risk, small-scale residential developments that were being held up in assessment queues.
"Staff identified the need to streamline approval pathways for compliant minor residential development and improve the customer experience," Ms Black said.
"This innovative, yet simple, in-house accelerated DA process prioritises high volume, straightforward residential applications that fully comply with planning rules and are free of significant environmental constraints.
"It's a win-win for all involved, most importantly for the customer who gets their approval within 20 days or less without imposing additional costs such as requiring external certifiers."
The initiative provides a pathway similar to Complying Development for proposals that may not strictly qualify for that approval process, offering a fast-tracked alternative within the DA framework.
Pictured: Council's Accelerated DA Service team
Finally, Council's internal staff Health and Wellbeing Expo has been recognised in the People, Workplace, Wellbeing (Population under 100,000) category, with the Expo showcasing health and wellbeing initiatives while offering practical services such as mini health checks and mental health awareness sessions.
"The Expo was originally proposed by the Safety and Wellbeing team in 2020, but unfortunately, COVID-19 delayed the initiative," Ms Black said.
"In 2023, the first Expo was successfully delivered and has continued to be a highlight on our staff's calendars ever since."
By bringing together staff from across Council's diverse work locations, the event promotes a healthier workplace and strengthens support for employee wellbeing.
The winners of each category will be announced at an event on Thursday, 4 June 2026.
