On Wednesday 3rd June, Parks and Leisure SA/NT hosted the 2026 Awards of Excellence celebration at Mosaic Hotel, West Lakes, Adelaide. It was a memorable evening of connection and recognition, bringing together 50 industry professionals from across the region.
With more than 20 outstanding submissions showcasing innovation, leadership and the positive impact of parks, leisure and recreation initiatives, the event highlighted the passion and dedication of the people behind the places that enrich our communities.
Thank you to everyone who attended, submitted an entry and helped make the evening such a success, and to our event partner, GLG, for their valued support.
SA/NT Awards of Excellence Winners
Community Based Initiative of the Year. Sports Libraries - Breaking Barriers to Active Living - City of Burnside.
The Sports Libraries initiative is a simple but powerful concept that reimagines how communities access recreation. Just like a traditional library—where you borrow books—these libraries allow residents to borrow sports equipment for free in local parks and open spaces. By removing cost and access barriers, the initiative encourages spontaneous physical activity, activates public spaces and creates opportunities for people of all ages to connect, play and be active in their community.
Environment and Sustainability Initiative. Breakout Creek Stage 3/Purruna Pari – Creating a Living River Corridor City of Charles Sturt & Green Adelaide.
Breakout Creek Stage 3 / Purruna Pari has transformed 1.6km of the lower River Torrens from a degraded engineered channel into a living river corridor that restores habitat, improves water quality, strengthens climate resilience and opens 15 hectares of land to the community. With 11,400m2 of wetlands, 245,000 indigenous plants and measurable biodiversity gains, the project shows how integrated design and partnership can deliver lasting environmental and social benefit.
Community Facility of the Year. Casuarina Aquatic & Leisure Centre City of Darwin.
The Casuarina Aquatic and Leisure Centre (CALC), in Darwin’s northern suburbs, has been transformed from a traditional 1970s style outdoor pool with limited accessibility, functionality and sustainability, into a modern, inclusive, family-friendly, community hub, unique within the NT. This $26.8million project has realised Council’s vison for a contemporary family aquatic & leisure facility, and delivers on Council’s strategic directions for a safe, liveable, healthy city with best practice and sustainable infrastructure.
Park of the Year. Breakout Creek Stage 3/Purruna Pari – Creating a Living River Corridor City of Charles Sturt.
Breakout Creek / Purruna Pari Stage 3 has transformed 1.6km of the lower River Torrens into a vibrant, accessible and culturally meaningful linear park. Opening 15 hectares of previously fenced land, it combines wetlands, habitat, shared paths, viewing decks, picnic spaces, horse agistment and Kaurna artworks to create a place that supports recreation, biodiversity, safety and community connection while strengthening the River Torrens Linear Park green network.
Play Space < $1M (Commendation). Webb Street Reserve Playground - City of Burnside.
Webb Street Reserve is a community‑designed, nature‑rich playspace that celebrates local identity through inclusive public art, biodiversity planting and circular reuse. Delivered for under $1M, it features Burnside’s first Braille signage, co‑created butterfly‑themed art, and sensory play elements that foster learning, belonging and connection.
Innovation In Parks, Sport and Recreation. Shared Vision, Shared Spaces – SANFL & the Department for Education SANFL.
A collaboration between SANFL and the SA Government (Dept. for Education) is transforming school sporting infrastructure and opening shared‑use facilities that benefit both students and the wider community. By improving access to safe, modern greenspaces, we’re giving more people opportunities to be active, connected and engaged in sport for life.
Strategic Planning. Burnside City Master Plan - Open Space Plan - City of Burnside.
The City of Burnside’s Open Space Plan is a transformative strategy guiding the future of Council’s 119 parks and reserves, while balancing a range of competing demands. Through detailed analysis and extensive community input, it delivers a clear vision for accessible, resilient and environmentally sustainable open spaces that support health, wellbeing and vibrant neighbourhoods. The interactive and user-friendly map, combined with a clear Action Plan and supporting documents, ensures that it is accessible to residents, staff and other key stakeholders such as sporting and community groups.
David Aldous Emerging Leader. Morris Wang.
Morris Wang exemplifies Council’s vision of “a safe, sustainable and vibrant community” through the planning, strategy, design and delivery of innovative parks and public spaces that enhance community wellbeing and urban liveability. His work demonstrates how thoughtful landscape architecture and strong community engagement create inclusive environments that encourage active recreation and social connection. Through strategic planning and thoughtful design, Morris delivers public spaces that strengthen connections to nature while creating vibrant, welcoming places for the community.
As always, a huge thank you to our sponsors for supporting us on the evening:
