New South Wales and Western Australia received the highest number of Awards, with New South Wales receiving five and Western Australia four awards, respectively.
The Planner of the Year Award went to New South Wales Chief Planner Gary White. Mr White was recognized for his “tireless promotion of strategic planning and planning excellence, and his willingness to mentor young planners.”
The Young Planner of the Year Award went to Queensland planning graduate Thomas Gardiner, who was praised for his lateral approach to thinking and his “ability to forge effective professional relationships in an often-challenging regional planning environment.”
Western Australian, Paul Shanahan, was announced as the 2018 Planning Champion, in recognition of his contribution to the development of a positive community model for gaining public permission and galvanising community support for planning initiatives.
The Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy received both a Best Planning Ideas - Large Project award and a Hard Won Victory Award.
The annual PIA National Awards for Planning Excellence start at State/Territory level with winners from each going on to be judged at the national level.
Read more about the category winners below:
National planning awards celebrate exemplary places
National planning awards celebrate professional achievement
National planning awards celebrate great ideas
National planning awards celebrate best practice in planning processes
National planning awards celebrate research and education
