2025 AOE GALA DINNER
21 May 2025 | 6:30pm – 10:30pm | CENTREPIECE @ Melbourne Park
Join us for the social event of the year as we celebrate the best of Victoria and Tasmania’s parks and leisure industry, this is a night not to miss. Our Awards of Excellence recognise and showcase the outstanding initiatives and innovative efforts of our members across eleven award categories:
• Best Regional/ Rural Industry Contribution
• Best Use of Technology
• Community Based Initiative of the Year
• Community Facility of the Year
• David Aldous Emerging Professional
• Environmental Stewardship
• Park of the Year
• Playspace (project value >$0.5M)
• Playspace (project value <$0.5M)
• Research Project of the Year
• Strategic Planning
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ABOUT THE AWARDS
Each year, PLA acknowledges excellence in our industry through its prestigious Awards of Excellence. These annual awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding initiatives and innovative efforts of ‘The People Behind the Places,’ which promote the wise use of leisure time for a multitude of social, environmental, and economic benefits to the community. It’s a celebration of those who contribute to creating vibrant, healthy, and inclusive spaces for all.
These prestigious awards honour remarkable projects and initiatives that have contributed significantly to the advancement of our industry. Starting within our regions, PLA recognises outstanding achievements across a diverse spectrum of fields, from park development to community engagement programs. The winners of these Regional awards represent what we recognise as excellence, showcasing projects and initiatives that not only deliver outstanding value but also enrich the lives of our communities. As a regional award winner, you become a National finalist and are invited to attend the National Awards of Excellence gala
Please visit the dedicated Awards of Excellence webpage for further details and information on how to apply.
David Aldous Emerging Leader Award
Proudly sponsored by
This award seeks to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions made by a student or emerging professional (under 30 years of age) in a course of study leading to a nationally recognised qualification in the sector throughout Australia or who has made a significant contribution to the parks and leisure industry.
Environmental Stewardship Award
Proudly sponsored by
Christie Barbecues is an Australian family-owned public barbecue manufacturer. We have focused exclusively on providing the safest, most reliable and sustainable products for over fifty years.
This award celebrates and acknowledges those who protect nature and parks, improve climate resilience, ensure sustainability, and care for our land, as well as champions in all of these areas as part of this award. Awarded to an individual, a team, or an organisation for the development of innovative processes, practices, or technologies that contribute to the development of a sustainable future.
Community Based Initiative of the Year Award
Proudly sponsored by
@leisure is a sports, aquatic, open space planning consultancy with more than 30 years of experience. We provide rigorous strategies, business cases, feasibility studies and facility plans that are market tested and practical to implement. www.atleisure.com.au
This award is designed to recognise the combined effort that is required to successfully plan, organise and manage effective initiatives, projects, programs, events and/or festivals which promote and enhance leisure time for a number of social, environmental and economic benefits to the community. Evidence of success should form a component of the submission.
Best Regional/Rural Industry Contribution Award
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Regional/Rural Australia includes all of the towns, small cities and areas that lie beyond the major capital cities, who make a significant contribution through community initiatives which contribute to the parks and leisure industry. These projects can be playspaces, events, tourism, trails, programs, repurposing of facilities and environmental initiatives.
Research Award
Proudly sponsored by
Endeavour Turf Professionals are one Australia’s leading sports field design and turf agronomy consultancies. For over 17 years, our expert team of designers, consultants and agronomists have been working with LGA’s and the professional turf industry designing and improving natural turf surfaces. www.etpturf.com.au
This award acknowledges outstanding research achievement by a group or individual, professionals, student or academics who have made a significant contribution to the parks and leisure industry through expanded knowledge enhancement promoting the benefits or importance of the parks and leisure sector in Australian society.
Strategic and Master Planning Award
Proudly sponsored by
WillPlay is an Australian manufacturer of play and fitness equipment with an extensive range of products to suit all size projects and budgets. WillPlay’s custom design capabilities can bring your next project to life and create a true destination experience for all users.
This award recognises the development of strategies for parks, open space, sport, recreation and leisure opportunities by rewarding outstanding examples of strategic planning that have enriched and revitalised a community.
Community Facility of the Year Award
Produly sponsored by
insideEDGE passionately supports communities to enhance sport, leisure, and recreation programs and services. Our mission is to drive more thoughtful decision-making regarding investment in community infrastructure, ultimately leading to increased participation and improved facility utilisation. www.ieslp.com.au
This community facility award recognises facilities that demonstrate innovative features of design, development and operation.
Park of the Year Award
Proudly sponsored by
An industry leader in the production, sale and distribution of premium instant turf and lawns for life. Coolabah Turf are passionate about the turf and lawn industry and the power their people and products have to make a positive impact on people’s lives. www.coolturf.com.au
This award celebrates and promotes vibrant, successful well designed and managed new or significantly revitalised parks/ open spaces by recognising and rewarding exceptional examples of best practice in terms of design and management. This includes parks and open spaces that are large, small, linear, along transport corridors, road closures, foreshore and reclaimed urban spaces.
Playspace Award (<$0.5m)
Proudly sponsored by
Shade N Sails is an Australian company that specialises in designing manufacturing and installing shade products. With over 150 years of combined industry experience and a focus on exceptional customer service and communication they service both the Australian and global markets, offering a wide range of solutions. www.shadensails.com.au
This award is given to a playspace under the value of $500,000 that involves a range of stakeholders, contributes to the creation of a sense of ‘place’ for its local community and exhibits landscape and/or structural design innovation that delights and aids childhood development.
Playspace Award (>$0.5m)
Proudly sponsored by
Ground Science is a multi-disciplinary geotechnical consultancy company, that specializes in all forms of sports field profile design and engineering. A leading consultancy in this space they service clients Nationally and Internationally. www.groundscience.com.au
This award is given to a playspace over the value of $500,000 that involves a range of stakeholders, contributes to the creation of a sense of ‘place’ for its local community and exhibits landscape and/or structural design innovation that delights and aids childhood development.
Best Use of Technology Award
Proudly sponsored by
GreenLife Group is a national leader in property services and open space management. GLG delivers a wide range of integrated commercial landscape, horticultural and environmental services that include property and ground maintenance, sports turf, arboriculture, and development of sustainable solutions. www.glgcorp.com
This award acknowledges outstanding and innovative achievement in the area of technology application and how that application has benefited the industry.
Thankyou to our event and award category sponsors for their support
