Wagga Wagga City Council's Weathering Well program has won the Local Government category of the 2026 NSW Resilient Australia Awards.
Held throughout May and June 2026, the Weathering Well program brought the community together through a series of events, practical training sessions and conversations focused on mental health and wellbeing.
Drought Resilience Project Coordinator Isobel MacCallum said she was delighted the program had received the award.
"I am really proud of the program, and it is gratifying to receive this acknowledgment," Ms MacCallum said.
"It was certainly a rewarding and challenging project to work on."
Delivered in partnership with Lockhart Shire Council, the program featured events that reached communities across the region, including Wagga Wagga, Lockhart, Uranquinty, The Rock, Tarcutta, Ladysmith and Pleasant Hills.
Ms MacCallum acknowledged the support of colleagues across both councils.
"It was really important that we took the program into smaller communities, meeting people where they live and making it easier for them to participate," Ms MacCallum said.
"Across both Wagga Wagga and Lockhart councils there were people that I leant on and it was lovely to be supported and encouraged by my colleagues."
Alongside practical training sessions the program offered a range of innovative activities, including live music performances, guest speaker Warren Davies, aka The Unbreakable Farmer, and The Laugh Bus, which transported people from rural communities to the Wagga Comedy Fest.
"Music and live performance can lift people up and bring them together. The program created opportunities for people to enjoy quality live performances, while also connecting with mental health support services and resources in relaxed informal settings," Ms MacCallum said.
"Accessing help shouldn't be confronting, it should be easy," Ms MacCallum said.
"Every event included food as a way of bringing people together and creating a welcoming space where connections could happen naturally.
"Often, a cup of tea or a bite to eat is the best conversation starter."
"It was wonderful to bring people together through a mix of programs and activities, helping them feel better equipped to manage the challenges they may be facing."
Warren Davies, The Unbreakable Farmer, told Ms MacCallum that the series of events would have saved lives.
"This is important work, to feel that you have done something that might have been incredibly meaningful for someone, even if we never know what that result is," Ms MacCallum said.
Weathering Well will now progress to the National Resilient Australia Awards held in Canberra in November.
Weathering Well was led by Wagga Wagga City Council in partnership with Lockhart Shire Council and jointly funded through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and NSW Government.
