Winners and Finalists

Winner: Samantha Walters

Caseworker, Out of Home Care, Department of Communities and Justice

Samantha is a passionate advocate for young people with disabilities and adolescents facing significant challenges. She works tirelessly for the betterment of children in out of home care, ensuring they have a voice and are seen, heard and respected by the community. 

She leads as young person without a management position, is a role model to her peers and is known for going above and beyond for the most vulnerable children of NSW.

Honourable mention: Tara Reynolds

Head Teacher Learning Design & Innovation, James Meehan High School

Tara’s leadership has inspired her team to become leaders themselves.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, like many schools, James Meehan High School suffered from low attendance, behavioural problems and disengagement. To address these issues Tara and her team devised a groundbreaking interdisciplinary curriculum, that seamlessly merges diverse disciplines to enhance student engagement and achievement.

Tara’s innovative approach not only challenged her team but also inspired them to embrace change and step beyond their comfort zones. The result is a curriculum that not only addresses the immediate issues but also prepares students for the complexities of the modern world.

FINALISTS

Jessica Singh

Manager, Anti-Racism Unit, Department of Communities & Justice

Jessica has helped the Department of Communities and Justice become a leading agency in the anti-racism space. She is a purpose-driven and people-centred leader, who champions anti-racist culture and initiatives across her department.

Jessica helped to establish the DCJ Anti-Racism Unit, which she now manages. She also played a fundamental role in the development of the DCJ Anti-Racism Strategy, is the Chair of the DCJ Multicultural Employee Resource Group and is a standing member of the DCJ Anti-Racism Taskforce. 

Stephanie Dunstall

Palliative Care Nurse Educator, Murrumbidgee Local Health District

Stephanie is passionate about improving palliative and end of life care education across NSW. Stephanie conducted a needs analysis and surveyed Nurse Unit Managers and Clinical Nurse Educators across the MLHD to identify knowledge gaps. Using this data, she has crafted a continuous program of education for district-wide clinicians. Over 600 clinicians across MLHD have attended palliative care education sessions in the first four months of 2024 alone.

Stephanie also works with external organisations to build capacity within the aged care sector, and the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network to identify and promote education opportunities more broadly.

Terri-Lee Ferreira

Communications Officer, Sydney Metro, Transport for NSW

Terri has a passion for the public sector and serving the community. She prides herself in ensuring people are at the heart of everything she does. She joined Sydney Metro 2 years ago after transitioning from her frontline position as a train guard.

Since then, she has been at the coalface of developing and improving the Sydney Metro mobile community engagement van and the Sydney Metro Connect app. These innovative engagement tools improve connection with diverse communities.

Terri’s strength lies in not only the delivery of allocated tasks but improving systems and processes for the greater good of the organisation and community.

Winner: Bev Lazarou

Senior Project Officer, Legal Aid NSW

Bev is a highly respected leader in the NSW domestic, family and sexual violence sector, with over 30 years’ experience. Bev has provided support, mentoring and guidance to countless frontline staff who assist women experiencing FDV across the state.

She has worked tirelessly to ensure women experiencing violence have access to specialist support when they report or seek help at NSW police stations through the co-location pilot program.  Bev works collaboratively across agencies to keep women and their children safe.  

Honourable mention: Associate Professor Naomi Hammond

Executive Director of Research, Northern Sydney Local Health District

Naomi has over 11 years of dedicated service as a clinical nurse researcher. She has an impressive record of leading research that has transformed care for critically ill patients.

Pushing the boundaries of critical care research to tackle key issues in patient care, Naomi collaborated on a ground-breaking research program, leading a world-first study on fluid resuscitation practices covering 27 countries. The research findings have transformed practice and improved patient outcomes. 

FINALISTS

Bernadette Brady

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, South Western Sydney Local Health District

Bernadette leads a team to deliver high-quality care to people with chronic pain through the district-wide Pain Service. Her clinical initiatives have advanced equity in pain management by redesigning pain services to respond to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

She has partnered with diverse consumers and clinical teams to improve the uptake of chronic disease management among CALD communities. This work has led to teams improving cultural responsiveness and advancing health equity for vulnerable communities. 

Bradley Lawder

Project Manager, Transport for NSW

Brad is a strong advocate for the safety and wellbeing of frontline regional road workers at Transport for NSW. He has driven several safety and process advancement initiatives to improve the experience of lone, regional workers.

Brad is a trusted and proud advocate of mental health awareness. He pro-actively led the trial of the Guardian Angel Safety Systems program, supporting road workers to stay connected when working in remote locations. Brad is also a local volunteer first responder during emergencies and disasters in the Port Macquarie community. 

Professor Nadia Badawi AM

Medical Co-Lead, GRACE NICU, Sydney Children's Hospital Network
Nadia is an international authority on newborn brain injury and cerebral palsy, renowned for her research on the outcomes of neonatal intensive care. She is known for bringing diverse teams together to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable newborns across the state.

Her work has led to a marked improvement of survival in intensive care and a significant drop in the rate and severity of cerebral palsy in NSW over the past 20 years.

Scott Morgan

Aboriginal Partnerships Manager, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Scott is an innovative Gamilaroi Aboriginal leader and has been instrumental in driving innovation and change for the delivery of tangible outcomes for Aboriginal communities in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region.

He is dedicated to ensuring the department designs and delivers culturally informed practice that make a difference in the lives of Dhawaral and Yuin Aboriginal people. Scott collaborates across sectors and across projects to ensure positive progress is achieved. 

Winner: Uptown District Acceleration Program

Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, The Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport

A 2017 study identified $16 billion in unrecognised economic benefit within the Greater Sydney night-time economy. Unlike other global cities, Sydney’s metropolitan area is geographically dispersed. 

The Uptown Program empowers local businesses to collaborate with their neighbours to create vibrant going-out districts, promoting and maximising the diverse, multicultural and unique going-out experiences that Greater Sydney has to offer. It leverages the economic potential of new flexible working arrangements, where people are choosing to spend their time and money in their local areas.

Over 20 unique and coordinated districts have been developed across Greater Sydney. These districts reported increases in foot traffic, partnerships and sales.  

Partners: Create NSW

FINALISTS

Asset AI

Transport for NSW

There is limited real time data on the condition of the 185,000km of road in NSW.

Asset AI is an Australian first. Cameras and sensors are fitted to council vehicles to capture footage of roads. A centralised platform viewable by Councils and Transport for NSW escalates defects in the roads based on severity and safety risk. The AI will draw on other data, like weather and traffic patterns, to predict road issues before they arise.

The use of data collected via vehicles already active on the road network provides significant time and cost savings for councils. Asset AI is used by 5 councils in NSW with 4 councils in line to be onboarded and over 40 more expressing interest in using the platform.

Partners: Institute Public Works Engineering Australasia NSW & ACT, Canterbury-Bankstown Council and Deloitte

Building a strong Aboriginal business sector

Aboriginal Affairs, Premier’s Department 

The Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth was developed to leverage economic advancement to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal communities.

This project was supported by $10 million to drive growth for Aboriginal businesses. It has delivered 3 Aboriginal Business Roundtables, bringing together Aboriginal businesses with Ministers and senior public servants to focus on how NSW can support Aboriginal businesses in contributing to the NSW economy. This has fostered trust-based relationships and opportunities for policy improvements to support a more resilient Aboriginal business sector.

The project focused on providing high-quality service to the Aboriginal business sector, centring people in the sector by listening, adapting, and collaborating. 

Partners: NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations

Decarbonising Infrastructure in NSW

Transport for NSW and Infrastructure NSW

The construction sector is estimated to be the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. For NSW to reach its carbon emission reduction target of net zero emissions by 2050 lowering these emissions is critical.

To drive change, Infrastructure NSW and Transport for NSW partnered to develop and deliver a holistic decarbonisation roadmap, co-created with industry and underpinned by policy and international leading construction standards.

The NSW Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Roadmap has fundamentally changed how NSW (and other jurisdictions) deliver infrastructure – setting a new construction industry benchmark across Australia and internationally.

Winner: Digitisation - Records of Stolen Generations

Museums of History NSW

In 2016, the NSW government received 35 recommendations in the Unfinished Business Report into Reparations for the Stolen Generations. In 2020, joint work by Aboriginal Affairs NSW and Museums of History commenced to address recommendation 25 relating to the accessibility and usability of records relating to the Stolen Generations.

Over a period of 19 months, Museums of History created 150 terabytes of digital resources, including 1.2 million digitised images and 358,000 entries describing names and geographical places.

A knowledge bank was created throughout the project to assist interpreting cursive handwriting which included names of board members, managers, welfare officers and other impactful entries. 

Partners: Aboriginal Affairs NSW and Department of Communities and Justice

Honourable mention: James Meehan High School - Middle school initiatives

Department of Education

In 2020, James Meehan High School grappled with plummeting enrolment from feeder primary schools. To remedy this, they implemented the James Meehan Cup transition program aimed at smoothing the path from primary to secondary education.  

This program included academic competitions, gala days, school visits, and a collaborative approach to address literacy and numeracy gaps. It also showcased the school’s facilities and programs to prospective families, students, and teachers.

Now in its fourth year, the James Meehan Cup has seen a remarkable surge in community involvement, resulting in a 50% increase in the enrolment over the past four years and NAPLAN results reflect the highest growth in a decade.

Partners: Macquarie Fields Community of Schools

FINALISTS

FrogID

Australian Museum

Australia has 254 known species of frog. Many are experiencing alarming declines, exacerbated by disease, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

The FrogID app was designed to optimise frog acoustic data collection with high scientific accuracy. It is a free, dynamic field guide to Australia’s frogs and is a biodiversity monitoring tool. Individuals use the app to deepen their understanding of local wildlife, and communities use it to engage with nature and build an appreciation for biodiversity conservation.

FrogID is an invaluable tool for engaging the public and exhibiting the power of citizen science in capturing data for meaningful scientific outcome.

Sustainable Healthcare - Together towards Zero 2030

Hunter New England Local Health District, NSW Health

Healthcare is responsible for 7% of Australia’s CO2 emissions. Hunter New England Local Health Districts ‘Sustainable Healthcare: Together Towards Zero’ initiative is a pioneering strategy aiming for carbon and waste neutrality by 2030, a first for any Health Service in the country.

Focused on 6 key areas of Energy, Waste, Water, Transport, Procurement, and Infrastructure, the initiative sets annual targets supported by robust governance and data-driven approaches. In its first 3 years, significant achievements have been made, including 31% reduction in CO2 emissions, 39% of rainwater capture and recycling, 24% diversion of general waste from landfill and recurrent savings of $3.3 million. 

The Number that Changed my Life

Hospitality and Racing, Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport

There are significant barriers to seeking help for gambling problems within culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. They include a lack of recognition of harm, high levels of stigma and a low awareness of support services as well as a range of cultural nuances individual to each community.

The Number that Changed my Life is a culturally driven campaign designed to directly and specifically speak to key CALD communities in NSW, through 6 targeted, in-language campaigns. 

The campaigns use an unmissable strategy underpinned by an extensive community engagement program to combat the reluctance of some individuals to recognise that gambling can be an issue.
The campaign has been recognised as setting a best practice standard for CALD problem gambling campaigns, being adapted by other jurisdictions and winning multiple awards.

Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre

Property and Development NSW, Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

The Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre in Southern NSW needed to find a new location. Recognising the opportunity to use a surplus government property, Property and Development NSW supported Yarkuwa under the Government’s Community Use Policy. They also worked with them to secure Create NSW grant funding and support from the local council and the Member for Murray.

This project supports the NSW Government’s Closing the Gap targets, providing Yarkuwa with a permanent location for their cultural collection, and ensuring the practices of the Wamba Wamba and Perrepa Perrepa people will be preserved for future generations.

Partners: Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre

Winner: Early Birds & Night Owls

Australian Museum

Families of children with sensory sensitivities were an underserved audience by the Australian Museum. Following a successful pilot program that provided equitable museum access to these families, sensory friendly mornings were expanded to include adults at night.

The program aims to develop and foster self-determination, independence and social connections for those with autism and sensory sensitivities. The Australian Museum is committed to driving change across NSW, nationally and internationally and have shared their training resources with other museums and galleries. 

FINALISTS

Essential worker attraction program

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

With a lack of essential workers across towns in regional NSW impacting community access to essential services, the team developed a number of solutions to attract and retain key workers. The team provided support to help new workers relocate and settle in regional areas by connecting them with local people and resources to make them feel at home. Since commencing the program over 50 essential workers have moved to regional towns, leading to one primary school being fully staffed for the first time since 2019. 

People Purpose Passion: Transforming Aboriginal Employment

TAFE NSW

With a broad footprint of over 150 locations across NSW, the TAFE NSW Aboriginal Employment Team identified a unique opportunity to connect with communities to boost Aboriginal employment outcomes.

The team consulted and collaborated to develop an Aboriginal Employment Strategy to shift focus from statewide to local, from compliance to opportunity. The new strategy is already showing impressive results with an 11% increase in Aboriginal staff since March 2023, accelerating progress towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

Workplace Adjustment Passport

Department of Communities and Justice

Employees with disability faced challenges in recording their workplace adjustments and when they moved roles would need to tell their story repeatedly, leaving them feeling vulnerable. The workplace adjustment passport system allows employees to store their adjustment details confidentially, and easily update them at any time, in a place their manager can access. Since being introduced, over 150 employees have workplace adjustment passports in place. This model is now being adopted by other NSW government agencies, facilitating mobility of employees between agencies. 

Winner: Howlong Community Emergency Response Team

NSW Ambulance, NSW Health 

With a population of 2,551 the Howlong community is too small to sustain a paramedic station. To ensure the community have access to adequate emergency care the Howlong Community Progress Association worked with NSW Ambulance to establish a Community Emergency Response Team for the area. The response team are a unit of trained volunteers that provide initial clinical care prior to the arrival of paramedics.

Community members underwent a rigorous assessment process before commencing 9 months of induction training with paramedics. To date the 10 volunteers have responded to 95 Triple Zero (000) calls.

Partners: NSW Ambulance and Howlong Community Progress Association Inc 

Honourable mention: The Bowe Kerb

Transport for NSW

Approximately 20% of all fatalities on NSW roads each year are pedestrians and around 1,000 pedestrians are seriously injured. A significant percentage of fatalities and serious injuries occur due to errant vehicles colliding with a kerb, mounting the footpath and striking people or fixed objects.

Installation of redirective kerbs, a safety device used to control errant vehicles, reduces the risk of a vehicle leaving the roadway. The Bowe Kerb effectively and safely redirects errant vehicles at up to 80km/h. Previous designs had limited capacity at 50km/h and did not have capacity to redirect larger, heavier vehicles such as SUVs and utility vehicles.

The Bowe Kerb is the new Australian standard for redirective kerbs, it can be applied to all future projects and installed across the country.

FINALISTS

Domestic Violence Unit

Legal Aid NSW 

A woman is killed every 4 days in Australia. The NSW Police respond to over 144,000 domestic violence related incidents annually with a domestic violence related call every 4 minutes.

The Domestic Violence Unit is a positively evaluated specialist state-wide interdisciplinary team of lawyers, case workers, mental health workers and financial counsellors who work together to help victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. In 2022-23, the Domestic Violence Unit provided over 11,430 services to clients experiencing domestic and family violence across NSW.

Kalgal Burnbona School-Based Integrated Care

Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health 

The Kalgal Burnbona is care model that provides holistic medical and social care in a school setting. It addresses the unmet physical and mental health needs of children with poor access to healthcare, an issue that has an inequitable effect on Aboriginal children.

The Kalgal Burnbona model has been implemented across 9 schools in NSW. Of that student population 82% received referrals to counselling, 43% to behaviour related care, 43% to youth health care and 20.5% to paediatric care. An additional 4 schools will be added to the program in 2024.  

The Kalgal Burnbona model has been shown to improve access to culturally safe health care with positive outcomes for students, families and staff.

Reducing the impact of fines for Out of Home Care youth

Revenue NSW, Department of Customer Service

Out of Home Care youth represent around 10.5% of under 18 year-olds in the fines system. Research shows a correlation between low-level fines not being resolved by teenagers and recidivism into more serious fines as adults. There is a low level of understanding among this age group on the impact of fines and how to resolve them.

In partnership with Department of Communities and Justice, Revenue NSW delivered innovative approaches to specialised debt resolution pathways and supported caseworkers to understand consequences of fines debt for Out of Home Care youth transitioning into adulthood. Over 335 youth have directly benefited from this work.

Partners: Department of Communities and Justice

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital School

Department of Education

Principal Wendy Barwell and her team transformed the educational provision available to students during short-term hospital stays at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

They created online learning programs, data analysis systems, and individualised learning plans for all students, which are reported to census schools, every lesson, every day. They challenged the misconception that educational support is not necessary in a short-term stay in hospital.

This impressive collaborative transformation has led to the strengthening of relationships with students, carers, NSW Health colleagues and local schools.

Winner: RPA Virtual Wound Care Command Centre

Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health

Chronic wounds significantly strain healthcare systems with high readmission rates and costly outpatient services. Disjointed care exacerbates patient suffering and increases healthcare burdens.

The Wound Care Command Centre, within Australia’s first virtual hospital, leverages an artificial-intelligence wound app for immediate specialist services. This service dramatically reduces wait times, readmissions and hospital stays, enhances communication, and ensures consistent, high-quality care across geographic boundaries.

FINALISTS

Mindgardens Functional Neurological Disorders Clinic

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health

Patients with functional neurological disorders (FND) are often likely to suffer other health issues including anxiety, depression and physical health burdens. The Mindgardens FND Clinic provides multidisciplinary assessment and intervention for FND patients. This small team has developed a successful, cohesive and resource-efficient model of care that is having significant positive impacts on clinic patients. 

Partners: Mindgardens and the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), University of New South Wales

NSW Medicines Formulary

Clinical Excellence Commission, NSW Health

This collaborative program has leveraged health expertise across the state, initiating reforms to address equitable patient access to medicines. The digital, statewide solution to medication management and procurement processes promotes consistent, efficient healthcare delivery. Since launch the formulary has delivered almost $100 million in savings. 

Partners: NSW Ministry of Health, HealthShare NSW and eHealth

NSW virtualKIDS Urgent Care

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, NSW Health

This program was developed to provide equitable access to specialised paediatric virtual urgent care services to children across NSW. It recognised the need to provide alternative healthcare services closer to home for children & families, reduce emergency department presentations, increase equity access to care across NSW and ensure positive experiences for patients and their families. The virtual service has resulted in high satisfaction from families who have needed to use it. 

Partners: Healthdirect and Hunter New England Local Health District

Refugee Cancer Screening Partnership Project

Cancer Institute NSW, NSW Health

Cultural taboos surrounding cancer inhibit open dialogue and hinder proactive screening behaviours. The Cancer Institute NSW led the Refugee Cancer Screening Partnership Project to understand and address their barriers to cancer screening.

Following community consultation, culturally appropriate interventions were implemented to enhance cancer literacy, leading to community members agreeing to participate in cancer screening. These interventions have also influenced a more inclusive and accessible screening environment. 

Partners: Settlement Council of Australia, Illawarra Multicultural Services, Mosaic Multicultural Connections, Metro Assist Inc, NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, NSW Refugee Health Service and Western Sydney University

Winner: Birrany and Mulungan Program

Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water

The Birrany and Mulungan Business Program increases a sense of pride in young Indigenous people, provides higher levels of engagement in education, enhances skills for employment and encourages academic qualifications. This unique program uses the combination of an immersive Zoo experience, supportive blame free environment, qualified educators to address and reframe student relationships with education. Participants graduate with pathways to employment or further training, increased engagement with school education and momentum to overcome the patterns of disadvantage.

Partners: NSW Office of Regional Youth and Transport NSW

Honourable mention: Vocational Education and Training in School Program

South Western Sydney Local Health District

Nursing shortages are a critical issue for local communities. This program established and invested in a pipeline program to address predicted shortages by creating health career pathways for high school students. The collaboration between the healthcare and education sectors provides students with vocational skills and practical experience and generates a potential pool of applicants for Assistant in Nursing positions. The program prepares students for nursing roles through hands-on experience, mentorship, and alignment with industry standards in the area where they live and attend school.

Partners: Department of Education and NSW Health Registered Training Organisation

FINALISTS

Endeavour Sports High School - Improving Educational Outcomes

Department of Education

A decade ago, Endeavour was losing a significant number of enrolments and underperforming academically. The school developed and implemented its ‘High Expectations Policy’ to address attendance, behaviour, attitude to learning and commitment to school values. Today Endeavour is achieving remarkable academic, sporting, creative & performing arts and extra-curricular success. The community has recognised this resulting in almost double the enrolments

NEXTGen Clinical Volunteer Induction Training

NSW Ambulance, NSW Health

NSW Ambulance clinical volunteers are spread across 60 locations in NSW and provide immediate clinical care to patients prior to the arrival of paramedics. Clinical volunteers need to complete an induction program before they can respond and provide critical care to patients in their local communities. Their training course was redesigned to allow students to begin responding under supervision with an escalating scope of practice, ensuring their skills and knowledge were consolidated progressively. This revised program has increased the confidence and competency of clinical volunteers. 

Partners:  Clinical Excellence Commission

Paid to Learn

TAFE NSW

This pioneering initiative fast tracks the transition into vocational teacher roles in 14 weeks, providing wraparound support while newly-recruited teachers are paid to study the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Paid to Learn removes barriers for industry experts keen to pursue teaching, while simultaneously tackling teacher shortages.

In 2023 Paid to Learn trained 140 new teachers who contributed over 27,000 teaching hours. By alleviating teacher shortages and producing qualified, confident, and current teachers, more learners can pursue their own educational and career pathways.

Twelve Northern Rivers schools - Initiatives to Support Flood Recovery

Department of Education

Twelve schools in the rural northern NSW region worked together to address student wellbeing needs to provide support during natural disaster response and recovery. Specialised programs were implemented across schools to promote a strong sense of belonging and increase school attendance.

Together the schools took a flexible, innovative and collaborative approach to build strong community relationships and ensure every child had access to a quality education at a time of great need. 

Partners: Richmond Principal Network, Lennox Coast Principal Network, Tweed Coast Principal Network, Wollumbin Principal Network, and Lismore Principal Network

Winner: Alexandra Rumore

Senior Outreach Solicitor, Disaster Response Legal Service, Legal Aid NSW

Alex is a warm and generous leader, with social justice and public sector values at the heart of everything she does.

When widespread flooding devastated communities across NSW in 2022, Alex was there on the ground. In this emergency, Legal Aid NSW provided over 5,700 legal services. As a senior outreach lawyer with the Disaster Response Legal Service, Alex rolled up her sleeves to ensure overwhelmed communities had their legal needs met. For months, Alex worked long days and weekends, travelling thousands of kilometres, delivering trauma-informed legal help where it was needed most. 

Honourable mention: Sheena Pham

Associate Director, Strategy and Delivery Unit, NSW Treasury

Sheena provides a calm measured approach and leadership in the most challenging and high-pressure circumstances. This was demonstrated exceptionally during the delivery of 10 key state-wide programs to support the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheena is a kind and empathetic leader who is quiet but powerful in her ability to build and inspire teams.

Sheena is a passionate advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse colleagues and is deeply committed to creating opportunities for them to thrive in the public sector. She brings this passion to her work every day by advocating for services that are accessible, equitable, and designed with thorough community engagement and consideration.

FINALISTS

Gisella Velasco

Manager Place and Public Life, Transport for NSW

Gisella is a champion for creating a culture of creativity and imagination in the public sector and strives to improve the lives of all people in NSW.

Gisella has fostered an open and collaborative team environment, where everyone feels heard and valued. This is evident in her leadership of her team’s work on the Safer Cities program. In the past 9 months, the program has engaged in extensive community consultation to develop tools and guides to improve safety in public spaces, reduce harassment and deliver infrastructure improvements. 

Grace Scott

Acting General Manager, Balmain Hospital, Sydney Local Health District

Grace is an outstanding emerging leader – supportive, passionate and resilient. 

Grace started her public health career in February 2015, as a Sydney Local Health District Graduate Health Management Trainee. From 2021 to 2023, Grace was the Director, Corporate and Clinical Support at Concord Repatriation General Hospital. During this time, Grace led the management of the whole-of-hospital cleaning, procurement, engineering, sterilisation, portering, food, linen, security, and outpatient departments. She is currently the Acting General Manager at Balmain Hospital in Sydney Local Health District. 

Lexie Dealehr

Manager Public Spaces, Place and Public Life, Transport for NSW

Lexie is a dedicated young leader who actively contributes to the creation of exceptional community spaces. Through her exemplary approach to best practice placemaking and collaboration, Lexie has successfully strengthened the capabilities of state agencies, local governments, industry partners, and the broader community. 

Lexie’s work has been instrumental to Cities Revitalisation and Place Branch delivering successful programs. This has included leading innovative partnerships through the Places to Love program, and the Walks Near Me platform with the Department of Customer Service. Her projects are multi-award winning, globally acclaimed and cited in best practice placemaking courses.

Sarah Groat

Farms of the Future Development Officer, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development 

Sarah has excelled at managing people and rising to the challenge of servicing over 2-million hectares in the Farms of the Future Grants Program. She has successfully trained and supported over 200 farmers in agtech adoption and helped improve mental health outcomes for farmers through this work. 

Sarah has also installed and taken the lead on a significant piece of agtech in the Carrathool local government area that will also be shared with the Moree/Narrabri local government areas.

Winner: Brad Fisher

Senior Project Manager, Electrical, NSW Public Works, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development 

As the NSW Public Works Technical Electrical Advisor on the Cooler Classrooms Program, Brad was responsible for delivering air-conditioning systems, solar PV cells and electrical upgrades to approximately 1,200 schools. His determination, ability under pressure, willingness to go above and beyond and ability to think differently enabled the program to extend to approximately 100 additional schools than originally forecast. 

Brad won the 'Think Differently (Individual) Award' at the NSW Public Works Staff Awards 2022 and the 'Regional NSW Individual Award' 2023 for this work.

FINLAISTS

Clint Nittolo

Project Manager, Temporary Housing, NSW Public Works, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Clint is a dedicated member of the Temporary Housing Team in the Northern Rivers. His commitment and drive to deliver program outcomes demonstrated his outstanding leadership and exemplary work. 

Each of the sites Clint managed were complex, but his unwavering commitment and exemplary work ensured there were solutions and pathways through, and the community and stakeholder needs were met. As a result, temporary accommodation villages were able to be provided for up to 641 flood impacted residents.

Dr. Jayanthi Ramanathan

Staff Specialist, General & Acute Medicine/Ambulatory Care/Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology/Lipids, South Western Sydney Local Health District

Jayanthi is a staff specialist physician at both Liverpool and Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals. He provides clinical services in Acute and General Medicine, Hospital in the Home, Toxicology, and Disorders of Lipid Metabolism. He is renowned for his energy and collaborative work in the areas of patient safety and the safe use of medicines. 

Jay's work and dedication has significantly contributed to enhancing patient safety across the community. He was awarded the 2021 South Western Sydney Local Health District Patient Safety Champion award due to his excellent leadership and communication skills and his passion for a safe culture that improves the quality of patient care.

Jessica Warren

Assistant Director, Psychological and Specialist Services, Department of Communities and Justice

Jessica is an inspiring psychologist and leader who has shown an unwavering commitment to supporting the delivery of an evidenced based intervention to children, parents and carers in NSW. 

This has changed the lives of hundreds of children and made the Department of Communities and Justice one of the leading providers of Parent Child Interaction Therapy in Australia. In completing her PhD, Jessica has contributed to the international literature and evidence base for this valuable intervention. 

Nick James

Maritime Policy Officer, Transport for NSW

Nick developed a Social Assistance Information Guide providing information for on water officers dealing with people living on the waterways who have no other accommodation options. He enables NSW Maritime staff to ensure people in this position are cared for and can find alternative accommodation. 

Nick has worked to ensure the Protocol for Homeless People in Public Spaces is in embedded in maritime practice so that NSW can respond to and support homelessness in all its forms.

Dr. Rummana Afreen

Staff Specialist, Rehabilitation Medicine, Western Sydney Local Health District

Rummana is an exemplary leader who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication to improving the healthcare services for adults with complex disabilities. 

Rummana proactively engaged with a multidisciplinary team to establish comprehensive care service at Westmead Hospital. This approach has allowed patients to receive treatment without unnecessary pain and discomfort, allowing comprehensive care over an extended period. She has improved access to high-quality healthcare and fostered a sense of compassion and support within the healthcare community. 

Winner: Innovation project – podular construction

Aboriginal Housing Office, Department of Planning and Environment

The Innovation Project was developed to position the Aboriginal Housing Office with the most robust and efficient end-to-end process for delivering new residential buildings to Aboriginal clients in regional communities.

The team partnered with Corrective Services Industries and the University of Technology Sydney to design and deliver the ‘Podular’ construction system, enabling a reduction in building time and costs, increased tenant satisfaction, and more Aboriginal employment opportunities. Outcomes have informed the creation of procurement and design guidelines for the Aboriginal Housing Office. 

Honourable mention: WestConnex – Sustainability and Environment

Infrastructure & Place, Transport for NSW

WestConnex Stage 3a links the M4 and M8 motorways to create an underground western bypass of the Sydney CBD. 

The project set aggressive sustainability benchmarks through the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) process. The project included a range of sustainable achievements as well as working with local artists to connect the project to Country, greatly exceeding the sustainability target with the highest benchmark for a road tunnel at the time.

FINALISTS

CBD revitalisation program

Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade

The small Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner team delivered a program to accelerate the economic and social recovery of CBDs following COVID-19.They worked with colleagues in Investment NSW to design targeted support for events and activation activities across hospitality, retail, entertainment, sport, arts and culture.

The program distributed $49 million to 67 projects between late 2021 and October 2022 – attracting 5.6 million visits to funded events.

DCS licensing program

Digital NSW and Better Regulation, Department of Customer Service

Digital NSW and Better Regulation have transformed the licensing experience through Licence.NSW, a new platform that streamlines how people and entities apply for, renew, and use their licences.

Over the past 2 years, the Licence.NSW platform has reduced waiting time for licences and added an additional 270,000 workdays to the economy. This has provided significant economic opportunities for industries including construction, real estate and security.

Infrastructure support services partnership and sustainability action plans

Infrastructure and Assets, Department of Communities and Justice

The Department of Communities and Justice’s Infrastructure & Assets leadership team worked to improve asset management capabilities and embed economic and social outcomes through an Infrastructure Support Services contract.

Results have included employment pathways for vulnerable and disadvantaged people and sustained regional economic stimulus through working with Aboriginal owned businesses and regional experts.

Partners: BGIS Pty Ltd

NSW Government response to the Coal Market Price Emergency

Office of Energy & Climate Change, NSW Treasury

To shield consumers from the worst impacts of global energy price shocks, the Commonwealth Government announced the Energy Price Relief Plan in 2022. The NSW Government supported the plan by implementing a cap on the price of coal for NSW power stations.

The Office of Energy & Climate Change team navigated a complex legal, commercial, and policy landscape to provide critical advice and instruct on legislation and directions to coal suppliers and power stations to safeguard electricity affordability for NSW energy consumers.

Partners: Department of Planning and Environment

Winner: Assertive outreach program – Tweed Heads

Housing Services, Department of Communities and Justice

The Assertive Outreach program reduced the number of rough sleepers within the Tweed Shire by creating a multi-agency response and strengthening partnerships between services to better support those experiencing homelessness. 

The program supports rough sleepers into accommodation and assists in tenancy retention. The result has been that 140 rough sleepers have been housed with a 95% tenancy success rate.

Partners: NSW Health, Social Futures, Momentum Collective

Honourable mention: Team Screen

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development 

Team Screen is a group of passionate, dedicated and determined staff from NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, working across research and management. 

The team have developed and implemented innovative fish-protection screens to prevent native fish becoming trapped in irrigation systems. This supports improved quality of life, real employment opportunities, better recreational fishing and other social benefits such as connection to country and mental health. 

The outcomes delivered by Team Screen directly enhance local economies, support well-connected communities with quality local environments, and strengthen the recovery and resilience capacity of regional NSW.

FINALISTS

Construct NSW program

Better Regulation, Department of Customer Service

The Construct NSW team, in collaboration with the Office of the Building Commissioner, have made a significant contribution in fostering a transparent, efficient and consumer-centric building and construction industry.

The program has enhanced the NSW Planning Portal and licensing system, established an e-learning platform in partnership with TAFE NSW to accelerate priority learning areas and developed a Certifiers Practice Standard to promote high standards. 

Over 230 pre-occupation audits have been conducted, resulting in over $400 million repair costs carried out by developers and builders before customers moved into buildings.

Partners: Office of the Building Commissioner

Murrumbidgee Emergency to Community initiative

Murrumbidgee Local Health District

The Emergency to Community initiative aims to reduce the number of avoidable Emergency Department presentations for vulnerable patients. 

A small team of highly skilled and experienced nurses work closely with patients to improve their treatment, self-management plans and quality of life in the community.

Case management of the patients and their needs has enabled successful interventions and connected patients with appropriate support networks and external stakeholders, resulting in significant improvement on the number of emergency department presentations and on the quality of life for patients engaged in the initiative.

Reducing social isolation for seniors

Strategy, Policy and Commissioning, Department of Communities and Justice

The Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors program has partnered with close to 90 organisations to deliver local opportunities for meaningful connections for older people. Introduced to address the increased risk of social isolation for older people due to COVID-19, the program engaged over 20,000 older people, reached over 67 local government areas in NSW and improved results for senior’s health and emotional wellbeing.  

Partners: Local councils and non-government organisations

Wilba – new flexible, shared transport service in Bourke

Regional and Outer Metropolitan, Transport for NSW

Bourke, in Far West NSW, continually faces challenges and difficulties in accessing services, accentuated by isolation and having no taxi service in the community. 

The team collaborated with community and existing service providers to create a transport model tailored to community needs. 

This joint effort culminated in the launch of the Bourke Flexible, Shared transport service in February 2023. The community enthusiastically welcomed the service, which is expanding access to employment, health care, social services, educational opportunities, and most importantly allows those who have no other access to transport to socialise within community.

Winner: Quiet Hour

Service NSW, Department of Customer Service NSW

One in 5 Australians live with disability, with 80% not obvious to others. Almost a third of those with disability aged over 15 avoid situations that are uncomfortable. Service NSW Centres were found to have barriers that make it difficult for these customers. 

To assist customers living with a range of hidden disabilities, including Autism and hearing or vision sensitivities, Service NSW launched Quiet Hour. It works by reducing noise, lighting and other distractions, where possible, allowing customers to complete transactions in a less heightened sensory environment. 

Honourable mention: Googong Public School

Schools Infrastructure NSW, Department of Education

Building the new Googong public school, the team sought to establish meaningful connections with the traditional custodians and incorporate their knowledge and practices into the school’s design. 

In establishing this connection within the school site, the life and culture of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people can be acknowledged and celebrated. By respecting Aboriginal perspectives and incorporating Aboriginal knowledge in the school design, the new environment supports a diverse and inclusive workforce and shapes students to be culturally competent future leaders.

Partners: Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams, Savills, Pedavoli Architects, North Projects, Hansen Yuncken

FINALISTS

Elevate and Advocate – CALD sponsorship program

Public Service Commission

Elevate & Advocate is a new sponsorship program developed to remove barriers and improve pathways into senior leadership for culturally and linguistically diverse employees in the NSW public sector.

Pairing culturally and linguistically diverse employees with senior executives, the program takes an innovative and bold approach, moving beyond mentorship to sponsorship. It follows a rigorous matching process resulting in strong partnerships. The program has already accelerated opportunities for career progression and has created a cohort of allies and advocates for inclusion. 

Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse patients in clinical trials to improve health outcomes

Western Sydney Local Health District

This project set out to enable patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to be considered and empowered to participate in clinical trials within Western Sydney Local Health District. Previously participants who did not speak English were excluded from consideration for clinical trials. 

Through a collaborative approach between the Clinical Research Support Unit and Health Care Interpreter Service, a new system has been established for a priority booking service. This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of patients enrolling in potentially lifesaving or life extending clinical trials across the health district.  

Hunter Local Land Services – Aboriginal communities program

Local Land Services, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

The Aboriginal Communities Program was designed to empower Aboriginal Knowledge holders and Elders to share their cultural knowledge with their community, engage their young people in cultural education and land management on their own country, and see Traditional Fire Knowledge return to the Hunter region. 

The program launched the first qualified cultural burn course in Australia and provides career pathways for Indigenous people and the capacity for Aboriginal communities to reinstate traditional practices. 

Partners: Firestick Alliance, Tocal College, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Traditional Owner groups, Aboriginal community representatives, Aboriginal employment groups

Legal career pathways program

Legal Aid NSW

Legal Aid NSW, TAFE NSW and Macquarie University worked together to implement and evaluate employment, credentials and careers for Aboriginal people in legal services. The Legal Career Pathways Program commenced in 2022 and will run over 4 years. 

The program recruits Aboriginal people and supports them to complete qualifications in legal services. This creates cohorts of scholars employed by Legal Aid NSW who support each other’s success in vocational education and career development.

Partners: TAFE NSW, Macquarie University

Winner: Digitising of vehicle inspections (R-Safety App)

Safety, Environment & Regulation, Transport for NSW

Every year in NSW, approximately 5 million vehicle owners are required to take their vehicle for a routine inspection through an authorised examiner to ensure that the vehicle meets set standards for safety and roadworthiness. This typically requires an average around 90 minutes of travel time for the vehicle owner.

The digitising of mobile vehicle inspections facilitates authorised examiners to conduct vehicle inspections at a location nominated by the vehicle owner via an app. This is particularly beneficial for people with vehicles such as trailers and caravans, which are challenging to transport for an inspection.

It has been estimated that a 15% take up of mobile inspections will realise $43 million in economic value per year in travel time savings alone for people in NSW.

Honourable mention: Expansion of Staying Home Leaving Violence

Strategy, Policy and Commissioning, Department of Communities and Justice

Staying Home Leaving Violence supports women and their children to remain safe in their home after leaving a violent relationship. An intensive case management service, it includes safety and risk assessments, security upgrades, financial assistance, legal help and employment support. 

The Department of Communities and Justice successfully led the largest expansion of the program, growing the service from 33 to 84 locations across NSW. Now supporting more than 6,400 women and children each year to stay safe, Staying Home Leaving Violence operates across NSW, with 70% of providers located regionally.

FINALISTS

Districts use virtual intensive care to keep critically ill patients close to home

Sydney Local Health District

Sydney and Far West Local Health Districts recognised the need for additional support for staff and critically unstable patients at Broken Hill Hospital. They aimed to design a patient-focused system of specialised care which could, where clinically safe, keep patients on country and in community at Broken Hill.

Partnering to deliver the virtual Intensive Care system, the team have connected critically ill patients in Broken Hill with specialised clinicians from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. 

The system successfully provides additional support and specialised care to critically unstable patients, as well as providing mutual educational opportunities for both the Broken Hill and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital intensive care units.

Partners: Far West Local Health District

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

Transport for NSW

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program is a global program across 39 countries that promotes recognition, support, and kindness to customers with hidden disabilities who travel on transport modes including air and rail and visit public spaces. 

Initially implemented in Sydney Trains, the program was extended into NSW TrainLink to ensure a consistent level of service and care for customers as they travel across rail networks throughout NSW.

Partners: Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink

Service NSW supports community recovery from crisis and disaster through grants and customer care 

Service NSW, Department of Customer Service

Between March 2022 and June 2023, NSW experienced unprecedented floods from the Northern Rivers, down the east to Albury, and as far west as Broken Hill. 

Service NSW collaborated with agencies to support disaster-affected communities in their recovery. Over a 16-month period they developed more than 20 new financial products for individuals, businesses, and commercial landlords, enhancing systems and service delivery to get money to communities as quickly and efficiently as possible. They assessed close to 100,000 grant applications and helped distribute more than $700 million in grants for small businesses, home repairs and rental relief.

WSLHD Catch Up School Vaccination project 2022 

Western Sydney Local Health District

The Catch-Up School Vaccination Project 2022 addressed the drop in vaccination uptake through the School Vaccination Program owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SVP team collaborated with school staff for clinic bookings, facilitating the consent process and safe operation. 326 school visits were scheduled, with most schools visiting 3 times. As a result, a total of 13,145 vaccines were administered through the program.

Partners: NSW Immunisation Program, high schools within the Western Sydney Local Health District

Winner: The Murrumbidgee Model

Murrumbidgee Local Health District

The Murrumbidgee Rural Generalist Training Pathway is an innovative workforce strategy developed to address the chronic shortage of General Practitioners (GPs) in regional NSW. 

The pathway has been successful in attracting, training and retaining junior doctors providing regional communities with access to highly trained GPs who understand their unique needs. The trainees are enabled to work across general practice and local hospitals while learning advanced skills such as emergency medicine.

Partners: University of New South Wales

Winner: Testing donors for emerging infectious diseases

NSW Health Pathology

The ability to screen donor organs for infectious diseases and compatibility in just a few hours means the difference between life and death for patients awaiting transplant. 

With a shortage of organs, the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service and the TGA-licensed NSW Health Pathology Nucleic Acid Testing Laboratory at Prince of Wales Hospital Sydney are a team of dedicated clinical pathologists, laboratory scientists and donation specialists working a 24/7 roster to respond whenever a donor organ becomes available.

FINALISTS

First statewide service for new parents with severe mental illness

Sydney Local Health District

Naamuru Parent and Baby Unit is the first public mental health unit in NSW to offer joint parent-baby admissions for parents experiencing acute mental illness during the perinatal period and the first in the world to offer non-gender specific care and treatment. 

Care is delivered to parents experiencing moderate and severe mental illness who would have previously otherwise received treatment in acute mental health units, separated from their baby and supports.

Health and development check uplift in child and family health services

Customer Delivery and Transformation, Department of Customer Service

Health and development checks are an important intervention to ensure children are developmentally ready, when starting school. 

The Ministry of Health and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District partnered with the Customer Experience Unit and the Behavioural Insights Unit to research, design and pilot solutions to increase the number of children completing checks in Child and Family Health Centres across NSW. 

The 6-month pilot delivered a 24% increase in bookings and attendance for health and development checks, saw a significant increase in families accessing information and resources via the website and 97% positive feedback from nurses and engagement with families.

Partners: Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Health

inTouch Residential Aged Care Facility Pathway

Western Sydney Local Health District

Across Western Sydney Local Health District there are approximately 4,300 emergency department presentations each year of older people living in Residential Aged Care Facilities. 

A new pathway of care was developed to connect older people at risk of an emergency department presentation or hospitalisation to community care options in an easily accessible way. As a result, emergency department attendance was reduced by 30% over 12 months.

Partners: NSW Ambulance, Primary Care Network, residential aged care facilities

Multidisciplinary concussion service

Northern Sydney Local Health District

Royal North Shore Hospital staff identified a need for education and specialised care for concussion as it can result in missed schooling, worsening symptoms, anxiety, depression, and readmission if not managed appropriately

The team engaged with local schools, GPs and internal stakeholders to address the need for educational resources and a new care pathway.

An Australia-first Concussion Clinic has now been established at Royal North Shore Hospital to improve outcomes for patients with post-concussion symptoms and the educational video the team produced is being used by the NSW Education Department and New Zealand schools.

SWAP IT – a highly scalable digital lunchbox program to improve child nutrition

Hunter New England Local Health District

Everyday across NSW, over 850,000 children consume approximately 3.5 serves of unhealthy food in their school lunchbox, increasing risks of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. 

The team co-designed an innovative healthy school lunchbox program called SWAP-IT helping improve the nutritional health of nearly a million children in NSW each day. This approach has provided world first critical evidence to guide service provision and improve local and global health outcomes.  

Partners: NSW Health, EduTech Group

Winner: Assessment for complex learners project

Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Department of Education

For thousands of young people in NSW, particularly those with the most complex learning needs, conventional teaching support and assessment are inaccessible. 

The Assessment for Complex Learners developed a suite of tools to help special educators know where their students are in their learning journey, aligned with national literacy progressions. 

Every single student in the NSW public school system can now be seen on a single literacy and numeracy continuum. This is a first in NSW, Australia and globally.

Going the extra mile for civil construction training

TAFE NSW

TAFE NSW’s civil construction team created a mobile delivery model that brings high quality education and training to students in remote NSW. 

The team partners with local businesses and delivers tailored programs for First Nations’ communities, people with disability, people with low literacy levels and other disadvantaged groups.

The initiative is helping to develop the next generation of industry experts by supporting more than 90 apprentices state-wide. Overall, it has helped more than 1,900 students access vocational training and support.

FINALISTS

Aboriginal oral health recruitment & training strategy

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

In preparation for a new Aboriginal dental clinic in La Perouse, the Oral Health Service implemented an Aboriginal access program to foster cultural safety and community collaboration and created an Aboriginal Trainee program. 

Trainees are employed for 12 months and supported to complete formal qualifications in dental assisting or administration. Entry level traineeships are an effective way of growing the Aboriginal workforce and bridging the gap in cultural competence of health employees.

Murrumbidgee Growing Our Own

Murrumbidgee Local Health District

The Murrumbidgee School Based Traineeship program provides a career pathway from school to work for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students interested in health careers. The traineeship helps students attain a nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training qualification and their Higher School Certificate while gaining valuable work skills and experience through paid employment.

Over the past 4 years this program has achieved overwhelming success with 3 students gaining entry into university to study medicine and 19 students gaining employment with Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

Partners: Training Services, NSW, NSW TAFE

Reconnecting the Warren community to learning

TAFE NSW

To re-engage the community in education, the TAFE NSW Warren team developed a ‘taster’ program of short courses that included construction, agriculture, and Aboriginal language, culture and art. 

Recognising that interest in learning the local Wayilwan language was high, the team partnered with local Elders to deliver a Certificate I in Aboriginal Languages course focusing on Wayilwan. The initiative has helped TAFE NSW Warren forge stronger links with the local Aboriginal community and increased training participation rates. It has also helped ensure Wayilwan’s survival as a living language.

Taronga veterinary professional training in wildlife treatment and care

Taronga Zoo

Thousands of wildlife cases present in veterinary clinics each year requiring specialist veterinary training to provide appropriate treatment. 

To improve conservation and welfare outcomes, the Taronga Professional Veterinary Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care course was developed as a nationally accredited training course. The initiative funded by the NSW Government Koala Strategy, educates veterinary professionals on the clinical treatment and care of wildlife. Since 2020, 1,465 veterinary professionals have successfully completed the course.

Partners: NSW Koala Program, Conservation Policy and Strategy, Department of Planning, industry and Environment

Winner: Courtney James

Registered Midwife, Aboriginal Midwifery Caseload Model, Western Sydney Local Health District

Courtney is a proud Wiradjuri woman and a talented and caring midwife in the new Aboriginal Caseload Model at Westmead Hospital, known as Dragonfly Midwifery Caseload. This model of care was introduced to provide culturally sensitive care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Courtney has been instrumental in the ongoing development of the Dragonfly model by driving the design of the Antenatal outpatient clinics. Her understanding of Indigenous communities is evident in how she conducts herself in all interactions with the women and families. Courtney 'walks the talk' and educates other midwives about cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity.

FINALISTS

Andrew Clifton

Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction, Millfield Public School, Department of Education

Andrew is an amazing educational leader who has demonstrated strategic leadership of staff, management of multiple whole-school programs and outstanding support of students though positive working relationships with our community. He has shown outstanding commitment towards improved practice in literacy and numeracy leading to positive growth and achievement. His interpersonal and intrapersonal skills allow him to work side by side with teachers and achieve growth in a considerate and differentiated way.

Mary Nguyen

Master Program Manager, Transport for NSW

Mary has proven herself as one of Transport’s highest achieving young employees. Her engineering and planning capability has led to the development of multiple innovative solutions in one of the cluster's most complex areas – trackwork possession management – which involves long-term planning, coordination of hundreds of worksites and safety in consultation with a multitude of stakeholders. She is an inspiring leader, mentor and advocate, and regularly conducts workshops across the cluster to facilitate innovative solutions. Mary is invaluable to the organisation and her innovative accomplishments have proven instrumental to Transport's continued improvement and commitment to keep Sydney moving.

Rosie Oldfield

Strategic Projects Officer, Department of Enterprise, Investment & Trade

Rosie embodies the values of public service and is passionate in delivering for the people of NSW. She combines deep analytical and project management skills with an inventiveness and desire to get the best outcome, which has led to the success of each project she’s been involved in. She inspires those around her to make the seemingly impossible, possible. She has a knack of taking on wicked problems, breaking them down into manageable parts and then bringing together teams to make opportunities happen. She also drives the Young Professionals Network for the DPC and DEIT Cluster to build connections and culture.

Alexander Pritchard

Senior Manager, Airport Hotel & Quarantine Operations, HealthShare NSW

In his role as Senior Manager, Alexander led the transport of COVID-19 symptomatic people to and between health hotels from Sydney Airport and Police hotels, and the transfer of COVID-positive patients from NSW Hospitals. Following the Delta outbreak, the team’s work rose from 97 transfers per week to over 1,700 per week, requiring them to move to a 24-hour service. Despite the challenging nature of the work, Alex ensured his team were well supported while working collaboratively with local health districts to achieve the best outcomes for patients.

Anna Yanatchkova

Senior Manager, Global Goals, Planning and Engagement, Sydney Opera House

Anna believes that art and culture are a catalyst for change and has dedicated her career to realising this in NSW arts-based public sector organisations. Anna led the development and implementation of the Sydney Opera House’s first Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy, has deepened the organisation’s Reconciliation Action Plan commitments, and developed a holistic approach to social and environmental sustainability through the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Anna has been instrumental in deepening the Opera House’s understanding of and capacity to deliver positive social impacts. She is a dynamic and committed leader with great future-facing value to add to the public service and the NSW community.

Winner: Amanda Causley

Welfare Services Functional Area Coordinator for Northern NSW and Community Services Caseworker, Department of Communities and Justice

Since the northern NSW floods began earlier in 2022, Amanda has spent countless hours coordinating 54 evacuation centres. Working around the clock, she prioritised the care and safety of disaster impacted communities, evacuation centres and staff to ensure they were supported. Amanda did all of this with a smile and remained calm despite the massive challenge she faced. She is very respected within the DCJ Disaster Welfare space, and Resilience NSW have also noted that she never faltered in her leadership and remained responsive and calm whilst under a significant amount of pressure.

FINALISTS

Professor Golo Ahlenstiel

Clinical Network Manager Speciality Medicine and Senior Medical Advisor inTouch COVID Care in the Community, Western Sydney Local Health District

Professor Ahlenstiel has coordinated the care of many thousands of patients in Blacktown and Westmead Hospitals and in the community during the pandemic, saving many lives. At any point in time, COVID-19 cases in western Sydney have accounted for 15-23 percent of all cases in NSW. His leadership approach has been coordinated, diplomatic, clear and precise, and provided tremendous support for the many staff working with him. Professor Ahlenstiel tracked the demand for new treatments in real time, many of which were being used clinically for the first time, and supported patients and staff in their use.

Dr Shopna Bag

Director of Public Health Unit, Western Sydney Local Health District

Dr Shopna Bag is an extraordinary leader whose example of expertise delivered with care and compassion has stood out over the past year – particularly throughout the pandemic. Shopna consistently demonstrates a commitment to understanding the local western Sydney community and empathy towards all staff, patients and carers. She successfully engaged internal and external stakeholders, provided advice on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 guidelines, and informed the development of local policies and procedures to support compliance with guidelines in clinical and non-clinical areas across the health district.

Megan Byrne

COVID-19 Vaccination Lead and Head of Department, Dietetics and Nutrition, Western Sydney Local Health District

Megan fosters a culture of clinical excellence, quality improvement and recognition within her team. She is a highly capable senior leader and set up the Blacktown COVID-19 Vaccination Hub in 2020, coordinating all staff and resources in her role of managing Operations. She was an early advocate for adapting the way vaccinations were delivered to patients with complex needs requiring low sensory environments. Megan was identified as the best person to fill the role of Operations Director for the Qudos Bank Arena Vaccination Hub, where she facilitated the delivery of over 360,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the people of NSW in 10 weeks.

Louise Herron AM

Chief Executive Officer, Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House has been renewed for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors under the visionary leadership of Louise Herron AM, who has overseen a transformative, complex decade of renewal that comes to fruition this year. From the start of her tenure as CEO almost ten years ago, Herron has reimagined the Opera House’s potential as Australia’s cultural icon and one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres. Now, as the Opera House prepares to mark its 50th anniversary, the community is experiencing the culmination of a remarkable transformation of the building and precinct and the organisation that brings them to life.

Joseph La Posta

Chief Executive Officer, Multicultural NSW

When COVID cases began to rise, Joseph’s advocacy for multicultural communities enabled NSW Government to reach these communities in new and engaging ways. He personally lobbied across government to secure more than $50 million in grant funding so that vulnerable communities could endure lockdowns and emerge stronger. He knew that providing communities with information in their language, from trusted community leaders, would have the best outcomes for all of NSW, and partnered with SBS to provide interpreting of daily press conferences in 10 languages. He also successfully advocated for pop-up testing and vaccination centres in existing community hubs and places of worship.

Winner: Construction industry shutdown response

Infrastructure NSW

In July 2021, there was a construction pause across Greater Sydney to reduce COVID-19 transmission. To mitigate the economic impacts, Infrastructure NSW immediately established a Construction Reopening Team to develop a pathway to safely reopen construction. This resulted in construction resuming quickly and the industry becoming an early leader in COVID-safe work practices and vaccination.

Honourable Mention: Supporting home ownership for Aboriginal people

Aboriginal Housing Office

To address the disparity in home ownership in NSW between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families, the Aboriginal Housing Office developed the Aboriginal Home Buyer Saver Grants Project. The project enables Aboriginal people to overcome barriers to achieve home ownership and all its associated economic and social benefits including intergenerational change. The scheme consists of three grants that eligible Aboriginal people can apply for to access a one-off financial boost. The project addresses the Premier’s Priority to increase home ownership and contributes to Closing the Gap target 9, that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need.

FINALISTS

The RNA Pilot Facility and research initiatives

Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade

NSW is known globally for its early-stage RNA research and development capability. The project team identified an opportunity to leverage this capability to translate local research into a self-sustaining RNA industry with homegrown vaccines and therapeutics. A targeted solution was developed through collaboration and rapid project mobilisation with local researchers and NSW Government agencies.This included an RNA Pilot Facility where researchers and RNA companies can conduct clinical trials, and research and development initiatives that fill the gaps to translating RNA research into market-ready products. The project positions NSW as a first mover in commercialising RNA research within Australia and the Asia-Pacific. 

Partners: The NSW RNA Bioscience Alliance (comprising all 14 NSW and ACT universities), the NSW Vice Chancellor’s Committee (VCC), NSW Health, Health Infrastructure

NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy

Office of Energy and Climate Change, NSW Treasury

Light vehicles account for around 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in NSW, and in April 2021, the State had not progressed an Electric Vehicle Program under its Net Zero Plan. The OECC, Treasury and Transport worked together to develop the nation-leading NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy in just 2 months. Because of the program, tax reforms have been legislated, incentives are available to help people and organisations buy an electric vehicle and programs have been launched to create a world-class electric vehicle charging network.

Partners: NSW Procurement, Transport for NSW, Revenue NSW, NSW Treasury, Department of Planning and Environment

A competitive, fully electronic conveyancing industry

Office of the Registrar General, Department of Customer Service

In October 2021, NSW moved entirely to eConveyancing, ending more than 150 years of paper in the conveyancing industry. The ORG built a world-first legislative framework and a new national online platform, co-funded with the private sector. The team worked with lawyers, conveyancers, and financial institutions to transform their business practices from paper to a fully digital system, leading to other private operators entering the eConveyancing market. The ORG continued to lead national reform by working with stakeholders across the private and public sectors to pass legislation requiring operators to interoperate their back-end systems, leading to more competition and more choice for customers.

Partners: Revenue NSW, Australian Registrars’ National Electronic Conveyancing Council (ARNECC), Australian Banking Association, Australian Institute of Conveyancers, Law Council of Australia

Moving more with less – Snowy Hydro 2.0

Transport for NSW

Snowy Hydro 2.0 is a renewable energy project that expands on the original Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric scheme. 20 seven-kilometre-long concrete-lined tunnels will connect two existing dams and an underground power station. Construction required transportation of 140,000 concrete tunnel segments through the local Cooma and Adaminaby communities. To reduce the impact on local communities and roads, the Freight Branch collaborated with industry experts to design an innovative 'fit for purpose' transport solution. The project reduced the number of heavy vehicle movements by 67 percent, taking tens of thousands of heavy vehicle movements off roads and resulting in time and cost savings.

Partners: Future Generation

Winner: Virtual Rural Generalist Service

Western NSW Local Health District

Across NSW and Australia there are longstanding challenges in recruiting doctors to rural communities. The Virtual Rural Generalist Service is a support service for western NSW hospitals that enables rural generalist doctors to provide virtual and face-to-face medical coverage to vulnerable rural communities. Since implementation, there has been improved access to medical support close to home and on country, high service uptake, high patient satisfaction, and improved support for retaining rural GPs. This is a sustainable solution that supports recruitment and retention of medical staff to rural hospitals and multipurpose services into the future.

Honourable Mention: M4 Smart Motorway – NSW’s First Smart Motorway

Infrastructure and Place, Transport for NSW

Traffic growth on the M4 Motorway requires intervention to ease congestion and improve safety amidst western Sydney’s growing population. NSW's first “Smart Motorway” technology will ease congestion and better manage traffic flows. Major improvements have been linked to a Managed Motorway System that controls traffic movements and helps manage incidents on the motorway to reduce impacts to traffic flow. In the first year of operation, the M4 Smart Motorway saw a 6-minute improvement in travel time from Penrith to Parramatta, and more importantly, an up to 40 percent reduction in serious traffic accidents.

FINALISTS

Digital Birth Certificate

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

The birth certificate is the standard legal identity document Australian citizens need to participate in society. The National Product Team conducted customer research that indicated 80% of Australian citizens would actively use a digital birth certificate if it was easily accessed and universally recognised. In conjunction with technology consultancy Thoughtworks, the team designed the world’s first Digital Birth Certificate, which will be housed in a dedicated secure app and provide easy access to customise and share the certificate. This removes the inefficiency of accessing the paper certificate while increasing security regarding acceptable formats.

Partners: Thoughtworks

Measuring what matters: Patient Reported Measures

NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation

The Patient Reported Measures program enables patients to provide direct, timely feedback about their health experiences – a critical component of achieving NSW Health’s vision for truly integrated, better value care across the state. Patient surveys are used to give clinicians real-time insight into patients’ needs and experiences at the point of care, helping clinicians understand what matters to patients and provide more effective care. A purpose-built IT platform, the Health Outcomes and Patient Experience, enables real-time data capture so that patients and carers can provide feedback about their outcomes and experiences from their personal electronic devices.

Partners: eHealth NSW

Opal Digital Card

Transport for NSW

With digital payments becoming more popular, the way customers choose to pay for transport is evolving. In December 2020, the revolutionary Opal digital card was launched as a 12-month trial for 10,000 customers. Stored in a mobile device’s digital wallet, the digital card allows customers to tap on and off public transport with their phone or smart watch and access all the benefits of using a physical Opal card and a seamless customer journey. The results from the trial were resoundingly positive with over 80 percent of participants stating they would use the Opal digital card again.

Utilising virtual reality to supplement clinician education

Western Sydney Local Health District

Increasing pressures on clinicians’ time have forced healthcare systems to create efficient ways of addressing the educational requirements of healthcare providers. Western Sydney Local Health District partnered with the University of Sydney to supplement clinician education in identified areas of need with locally developed virtual reality training. While traditional immersive education methods are often expensive and inflexible, this training capitalises on virtual reality’s cost-effective, scalable method of communication.

Partners: The University of Sydney, Frameless Interactive

Winner: Check-in Assessments to enable student learning

Student Assessment Online Reporting Team, Department of Education

In response to concerns that student learning would be impaired from lockdowns, the Department of Education developed rapid assessments to monitor student progression and enable schools to tailor support. Check-in Assessments are an Australian-first tool created to identify potential literacy and numeracy gaps quickly and easily. The tool was first created in April 2020 and completed by almost 63,000 students within 4 months. The first results were returned to schools within 48 hours, providing rapid insights backed with specific resources. Given their outstanding value, Check-in Assessments now occur twice-yearly for 400,000 students in Years 3 to 9.

Partners: Student Assessment and Online Reporting team, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation

Honourable Mention: Rural Access Gap program

Information and Technology Directorate, Department of Education

Key metrics indicated a growing gap between metropolitan and regional schools and inequities in access to digital tools. To address this divide, the Rural Access Gap program set out to build digital capacity, efficacy, and capabilities by supporting over 1,000 rural schools in enabling digital classrooms. So far, the program has led to an improved 1:4 device-to-student ratio, provided nearly 13,000 teachers with access to a personal device and ensured higher internet connectivity speed across nearly 1,000 schools. This comprehensive approach provides the foundations for lifelong learning and ensures all students get quality education no matter where they live.

Partners: Department of Customer Service

FINALISTS

Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests

Language and Culture team, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate, Department of Education

The Aboriginal Language and Culture Nest initiative delivers training to schools to support a whole-of-school approach to Aboriginal language teaching. The team developed workshops in 5 locations across NSW to ensure that Aboriginal Language was embedded in all school activities, not just during formal lesson times. This required innovative delivery methods that incorporated Aboriginal cultural knowledge as well as working with school curriculum, localised to each Nest location. The Nests were delivered across the state over 2021 and 2022 and were incredibly popular among schools.

Partners: NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group

Careers NSW pilot

Strategic Priorities, Department of Education

After the pandemic caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in NSW, filling workforce shortages became a top priority. Careers NSW was created to connect people with personalised career information and guidance, wherever they are in their careers. Careers NSW was delivered in close collaboration between the Department of Education, Service NSW and the Department of Customer Service. Under a tight turnaround, the team went above and beyond to design a customer-centric self-service website, provide careers guidance from career development practitioners, and secure volunteer industry experts and high-profile ambassadors. Since October 2021, Careers NSW has connected over 92,000 NSW customers with career guidance.

Partners: Service NSW and the Delivery Unit, Customer, Delivery and Transformation, Department of Customer Service, and Department of Education

Educational Pathways Pilot Program expansion

Education and Skills Reform, Department of Education

To help increase the proportion of young people participating in higher education, training or work, the pilot Educational Pathways Program was launched in 2020, in 24 high schools across south-west Sydney and the north coast. The pilot included 10 initiatives, including the creation of new staff roles in schools that explore opportunities for students to gain careers education and Vocational Education and Training experience. The successful pilot led to the expansion of the program in 2022 to include 121 new schools across seven regions, involving a total of 145 high schools in nine regions across NSW.

Partners: TAFE NSW

Improving HSC Outcomes with a Step Change in Evaluation

Quality Teaching Practice – Learning Improvement, Department of Education

To support an improvement of student achievement in the HSC, the Quality Teaching Practice Evaluation and Data Team used embedded evaluation to provide timely and relevant insights to the HSC Strategy Team. These insights enabled the Strategy Team to make informed decisions to improve performance. Working with education experts, the team built an evaluation framework that helps to understand the difficult-to-evaluate journey between professional learning delivery and HSC achievement. The evaluation has supported double the rate of growth in HSC performance in schools with high levels of HSC professional learning participation, compared to those with lower participation.

Winner: First Nations Support Program

Revenue NSW

First Nations people are over-represented in the fines system, which disproportionately impacts their social and economic participation and results in a cycle of escalating disadvantage. Revenue NSW transformed their services to increase engagement with First Nations people by developing place-based, data-driven community action plans to tackle local issues and transforming their internal culture. This includes a First Nations Team providing culturally safe services, an awareness toolkit to reduce voting fines, a ‘Tell us Once’ program to reduce the impact of licence sanctions in remote communities and repealing legislation that caused citizens to fear they would be locked up because of fines.

FINALISTS

One organisation with the client at the centre

Client Service Unit and LawAccess NSW, Legal Aid NSW

When customers needed to engage with Legal Aid, they would experience multiple confusing entry points, inconsistent service, they would have to repeat their story to multiple people, and the most vulnerable clients were often missing out. The team created a single point of entry and integrate all systems to provide a seamless customer experience. They elevated LawAccess NSW to become the single contact centre for Legal Aid so that customers could be triaged and those with the greatest need supported accordingly. This single point of contact delivers the right service at the right time without customers having to tell their stories multiple times.

Partners: Department of Customer Service, Department of Communities and Justice

Community Pillar of the Delta Micro Strategy

Multicultural NSW

Multicultural NSW led the NSW Government’s Community Pillar of the Delta Micro Strategy and collaborated with 13 different government agencies to provide multiple points of support to communities across NSW. The response included 13 rounds of community and NGO grants which enabled nearly 700 community organisations to empower vulnerable communities with practical needs such as food, medical supplies, COVID information and testing kits. They provided translations to Public Health Orders, used the specialist knowledge of Aboriginal Affairs and the Centre for Aboriginal Health to support Aboriginal communities in western Sydney, and partnered with Police and Resilience NSW on emergency management and recovery coordination.

Partners: Aboriginal Affairs, Centre for Aboriginal Health, NSW Police, Resilience NSW

Engaging with people in NSW to connect them with care in the community

Service NSW

The surge in COVID-19 cases over the 2021 Christmas holidays meant pathology testing centres were struggling to cope. Emergency departments and Ambulance services were overwhelmed by concerned patients who, with the right information and support could have been safely cared at home. To support the mandatory reporting of RAT results, DCS and NSW Health collaborated to rapidly deliver a digital solution to enable people to register a positive test, screen themselves for risk, and access care providers where required. Delivered in record time, this immediately relieved pressure on hospital EDs and Ambulance services and provided reassurance and access to resources for worried patients turnaround.

Partners: Department of Customer Service, NSW Health

THIS WAY UP mental health service

The Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, St Vincent’s Health Network

THIS WAY UP is a digital mental health service that offers a suite of tailor-made internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programs for the management of depression, anxiety and psychological wellbeing. This form of therapy has been shown to be as effective as face-to-face therapy. The demand for mental health services increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, so as part of St Vincent's COVID-19 response, THIS WAY UP waived the fee for all programs. This resulted in significant increases in users accessing and benefiting from the online treatment programs and clinicians integrating digital treatments into routine care.

Partners: The University of New South Wales

Digital Vehicle Registration

Transport for NSW and Service NSW

In partnership with Service NSW, Transport launched the revolutionary Digital Vehicle Registration (DVR) in March 2022. DVR uses digital platforms to deliver timely alerts and enable citizens to manage their entire registration renewal online. Motorists who opt-in receive reminder notifications via email, in their MyServiceNSW account and via app notifications. They can also access a real-time digital Certificate of Registration. DVR saves drivers time, reduces the carbon footprint from paper renewals, reduces the number of unregistered vehicles and will save taxpayers $10 million over 5 years. More than 200,000 motorists have opted into the new digital service since its launch.

Winner: COVID-19 and Discharge Shuttle Service

Patient Transport Service, HealthShare NSW

To safely transport COVID-19 patients during the Delta outbreak, the Patient Transport Service team worked with National Patient Transport and the Clinical Excellence Commission to implement a new model to safely transport discharged COVID-19 patients from hospital to home via a shuttle service. Within 1 week, timeliness of COVID-19 transfers rose from 65 percent to 88 percent, despite an increase in demand of more than 1,000 percent across the system. The result was an improvement in patient flow during the peak of the outbreak, with patients spending less time in hospital. The shuttles were hugely successful, safely completing more than 16,000 COVID-19 transfers in 2021.

Partners: National Patient Transport (NPT), Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC), NSW Ministry of Health – System Flow Centre, State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC), NSW Ambulance & state-wide Local Health Districts

Honourable Mention: Learning from Home: A Crisis Solution

Learning from Home Team, Department of Education

As the pandemic escalated in 2020, the Learning from Home Team was required to move deftly to design and implement a central, high quality and accessible digital curriculum for thousands of schools. The first phase was produced in 16 days and supported curriculum from early childhood to Higher School Certificate, and over the next 18 months, the team developed over 2,500 teaching and learning instructional videos, resources and digital packages. Ongoing consultation across the school community informed improvements as the pandemic progressed. This became Australia’s leading remote school learning program which empowered teachers, schools and parents to support the continuity of learning for one million NSW students.

FINALISTS

COVID-19 Community Response in Regional NSW

Far West Local Health District

In 2021, Wilcannia, a town of around 700 people in Far West NSW, faced a significant COVID-19 outbreak. Far West LHD collaborated with a number of NSW Government agencies, local government councils and community organisations to support the people of Wilcannia. The response was supported by a diverse COVID-19 community response team, a local emergency management centre, and community supported accommodation. With a high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, the response worked alongside local leads and elders to ensure a safe, sustainable, culturally appropriate, person-centred response that focused on clinical and non-clinical needs for those impacted by COVID-19.

Partners: Royal Flying Doctors Service, Maari Ma Health, NSW Department of Education, NSW Police, Local Aboriginal Lands Council, Central Darling Shire Council, Fire and Rescue NSW, Australian Defence Force, Resilience NSW, State Emergency Service, Wilcannia Safe House, State Health Emergency Operations Centre, community members, Elders and local key contacts

Empowering Community Groups

Multicultural NSW

During the pandemic, Multicultural NSW helped to save lives across NSW by building on existing community partnerships and creating a successful, place-based strategy that empowered communities. They delivered $38 million of grant funding to more than 600 organisations, which was informed by 700 individual consultations with community leaders. The team also developed a Community Connector Network across 12 Local Government Areas, which created partnerships that linked NSW Government and Emergency Services to non-government relief organisations and increased the efficiency of grant funding. These connections helped multicultural communities recover from lockdowns and strengthened their resilience.

Regional NSW 2022 Flood Response

Public Works, Department of Regional NSW

The 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers were the worst on record, and flood response teams needed to mobilise to help communities deal with the consequences of the natural disaster. When flooding struck the Hawkesbury/Nepean while flood clean-up efforts were underway on the North Coast, teams responded to a second natural disaster. Teams mobilised immediately lending varied expertise to the situation. 80 evacuation centres were established for critical emergency accommodation, and more than 8,100 people sought shelter. When most major roads were blocked, teams were on the ground in Lismore providing emergency support.

Partners: Public Works, Department of Primary Industries, Local Land Services, Regional Development & Programs, Soil Conservation Service, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Department of Planning & Environment, RSPCA

Wilcannia Campervan Convoy

Regional and Outer Metropolitan, Transport NSW

In September 2021, Transport for NSW assisted NSW Health by coordinating and delivering 34 campervans to the far west community of Wilcannia, where at-risk residents were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. When 108 people in the community tested positive to COVID-19, concerns were raised about their ability to safely isolate from infected family members in overcrowded homes. Transport's Regional Delivery team orchestrated an amazing achievement in a matter of days with over 80 staff across Transport's Regional and Outer Metropolitan Division (ROM) volunteering to participate in the campervan convoy to deliver much needed emergency accommodation for isolating patients in Wilcannia.

Partners: NSW Health

Winner: Pathways to Employment

Corrective Services NSW

Research suggests ex-offenders who gain stable employment after release from prison are 50 percent less likely to return to custody. The team established a pilot program to implement a structured process to enhance employment opportunities for women. This included a new service delivery model to address identified support gaps, engagement with employers and pre- and post-release tailored employment programs. The pilot resulted in a 60 percent employment rate and led to funding for additional resources to increase the scope to encompass all women exiting custody and also males. The project continues to evolve under the title ‘Pathways to Employment’.

Partners: Various organisations and companies in NSW seeking labour across industries including food services, warehousing and construction; training organisations offering vocational and pre-employment programs to support people exiting custody

Honourable Mention: Justice Advocacy Service

Strategy, Policy and Commissioning, Department of Communities and Justice

The Justice Advocacy Service (JAS) fills a critical service gap in supporting people with a cognitive impairment in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS). The service responds to research that suggests people with a cognitive impairment are over-represented in the CJS, overlooked as a disability cohort, and highly vulnerable to becoming entrenched without appropriate support. Since 2019, JAS has provided state-wide support to over 4,000 victims, witnesses, suspects and defendants with a cognitive impairment during interactions with police and legal representatives, at court, and in custody.

Partners: Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS)

FINALISTS

Make No Doubt sexual consent campaign

Department of Communities and Justice

This innovative community education campaign was developed to prevent sexual violence among young people aged 16 to 24 years. Consultation revealed the crucial need to educate young people about sexual consent as part of key changes to sexual consent laws in NSW. We worked with young people and the sector to develop an engaging social media and digital advertising campaign that provides clear, practical guidance on how to check consent. 84 percent of young people said the campaign would positively influence their attitudes and behaviour around consent. The campaign has also received widespread praise from sector stakeholders and mainstream media.

Boarding Houses – vulnerable population becoming more visible

Integrated Care, Sydney Local Health District

The population and health needs of Boarding House residents is poorly understood. Since the Sydney LHD catchment is home to 40 percent of all Boarding Houses in NSW, the congregate living and difficulty with public health messaging to residents created a major challenge for Sydney LHD during the pandemic. A specialist outreach team analysed the range of barriers and identified a range of innovative responses that not only contained any significant COVID outbreaks, but also provided a high-level understanding of Boarding Houses. The pandemic provided a foundation for new practices, research and in-reach services to Boarding Houses to meet residents’ health needs.

Partners: Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Central and Eastern Primary Health Network, Department of Communities and Justice, Inner West Council, City of Sydney

Domestic Violence, routine screening in the Royal North Shore Hospital Emergency Department

Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District

The Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) routine screening program in Royal North Shore Hospital’s Emergency Department uses a multidisciplinary approach to identify women at risk of DFV and provide psychosocial support. Specialist registered nurses screen all women over 16 who present to the Emergency Department, with those identified as at risk of harm provided with appropriate referral and management strategies. A total of 16,380 women were screened in the past 12 months, with 412 identified as at risk of harm and provided access to immediate support.

Partners: Prevention & Response to Violence, Abuse & Neglect, Government Relations Branch, NSW Ministry of Health

South Western Sydney Prenatal Team

South Western Sydney District, Department of Communities and Justice

Designed and implemented from the ground up, the South Western Sydney Prenatal Team is drastically improving child protection service delivery and outcomes to our most vulnerable clients – expecting parents and unborn children who are reported at risk of significant harm. The team provide the highest quality specialised child protection services with a particular focus on the power of family-led decision making through prenatal family conferencing and building the strongest possible support networks around each family.

Winner: Working with local communities to support social and economic outcomes at Brewarrina

Property & Development NSW

Property & Development NSW was asked to find an alternative use for Brewarrina Correctional Facility focused on realising optimal community benefit. Community feedback highlighted the need for a women’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. PDNSW worked collaboratively with Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council resulting in the transfer of part of the land to the traditional owners for cultural preservation and primary and agricultural enterprises. Remaining land was transferred to the Brewarrina Shire Council and leased to Orana Haven Aboriginal Corporation to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. Both outcomes will deliver social and economic benefits to a disadvantaged and marginalised community.

Honourable Mention: Benefits of Investment in Social Housing Capital Maintenance

Portfolio Management and Policy & Innovation Divisions, NSW Land and Housing Corporation

These teams collaborated to develop an evidence-based business case which produced a Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.72 – an Australian first in costing the benefits of investment in a social housing capital maintenance program. Land and Housing is pioneering new ways to manage its social housing portfolio of 125,000 homes to provide safe, appropriately maintained properties. Since Land and Housing is self-funded, they require capital maintenance funding to cover the cost of required upgrades without selling other social homes. 

Partners: PwC

FINALISTS

Aboriginal Mental Health – partnerships towards excellence

Aboriginal Mental Health Service, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Aboriginal people are three times as likely to be hospitalised for intentional self-harm, with suicide rates 1.4 times that of non-Indigenous people in NSW. In early 2020, SESLHD Mental Health Service adopted an innovative partnership approach with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Corporations to plan, design and implement health services through the development of a community-based Aboriginal Mental Health Service Team. The team's primary role is to provide flexible, timely, and culturally safe care to empower and support Aboriginal people to access services. This new service approach is collaborative, compassionate and recovery-focused, based on the principles of self-determination and hope.

Partners: La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation

Road to Home at Cabarita Reserve

Aboriginal Strategy and Outcomes – Roads to Home, Department of Planning & Environment

Roads to Home partnered with Forster Aboriginal Land Council to deliver $3.5 million in vital upgrades to former Aboriginal reserve, Cabarita Reserve. Works at Cabarita have included footpath construction, bioretention basins, full-width road seal, street lighting, wetland upgrades and stormwater drainage. The result of upgrading this essential infrastructure has been increased access to life saving emergency services like fire and ambulance. The upgrades have also enhanced quality of life by improving access to services like household waste collection, postal delivery and community transport. Multiple community members completed TAFE civil construction qualifications and ten local trainees were employed in the upgrade of their community.

Partners: Forster Local Aboriginal Land Council

Decarbonising Paediatric Cancer Care

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network

Decarbonising Paediatric Cancer Care is a program led by the Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick that takes a person-centred systems approach to carbon reduction in all aspects of cancer service delivery. Three projects underwrite a stronger, more sustainable future by removing 13.7 tonnes of carbon emissions and saving $630,000. They have delivered carbon reduction in clinical services, local policy, waste management and supply chain, helping to build a sustainable and resilient health system. This demonstrates how health systems adapt and how decarbonisation can be integrated as standard practice in the delivery of world-class healthcare.

Everyone's Business Learning about Stolen Generations

Workforce Inclusion and Experience, NSW Public Service Commission

The PSC has developed the ‘Everyone’s Business’ Aboriginal cultural awareness training in response to the Unfinished Business Report, which outlines NSW Government’s commitment to reparations for Stolen Generations survivors. The need for trauma-informed training and resources was identified in partnership with Aboriginal public sector employees and Stolen Generations survivors and organisations as the most culturally safe way to deliver training about the impacts of past forcible removal policies and practices. An innovative combination of storytelling and trauma-informed research has resulted in training which challenges self-reflection, increases knowledge and establishes practical ways to foster cultural safety for Aboriginal customers, colleagues and communities.

Partners: Bomaderry Aboriginal Children's Home, Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, Stolen Generation Council (NSW/ACT) Inc, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation

Winner: Dr Joe Murphy

Murrumbidgee Local Health District, HEALTH

Raised on a farm near Bribaree in rural southern New South Wales, Dr Joe Murphy is committed to staying in the bush to provide healthcare as a rural generalist general practitioner with advanced training in obstetrics. Dr Murphy understands the complex issues faced by rural and remote regions and aims to improve access to holistic health care for physical and psychological wellbeing. As the first trainee on the Murrumbidgee Rural Generalist Training Pathway, Dr Murphy consistently shows compassion and integrity in his approach to his professional practice and leads by example. He inspires others to follow their dreams and not be hindered by their rurality. As a future Rural Generalist, Dr Murphy is passionate about ensuring rural areas are equipped with the health services they require to provide quality, holistic care close to homes.

FINALISTS 

Tyler Haigh

NSW Health Pathology, HEALTH

Tyler is an ICT ‘dynamo’, creating NSW’s first online state-wide pathology test catalogue to provide fast, reliable access for clinicians. He was instrumental in developing our Australian-first COVID-19 SMS results solution and his efforts have allowed NSW Health Pathology to share innovative and life-changing ICT solutions in the most challenging times, without compromising safety or quality. Many of Tyler’s solutions have been adopted by Local Health District and Ministry of Health colleagues, helping them adapt and manage their own responses to the pandemic. He has been praised by every third-party partner, including industry giants Microsoft and Deloitte. A humble hero, his work has helped millions of people who will never know.

Blake Hughes

TRANSPORT NSW

Blake commenced his career at Transport straight out of high school in 2012, and has transformed from high achieving, technically gifted, planner to well-respected leader. Blake authored Transport’s Medium Term Strategic Fleet Plan and provided valuable contribution to the development of the More Trains More Services program. In his current role of Director Service Planning, Blake took on the challenge of establishing the new Service Planning directorate, growing the team from scratch whilst delivering exceptional customer outcomes across all public transport modes for the people of regional NSW. Blake has dedicated his career to the people of NSW and is an inspirational public servant and leader.

Bradley McEntee

Sydney Local Health District, HEALTH

Bradley McEntee is Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Manager at Special Health Accommodation quarantine facilities for returned international travellers, and community members who have tested positive to COVID-19.
Bradley commenced at a time of high community uncertainty, fear and rapidly changing advice in how to manage COVID-19 and its impact. Bradley was charged with developing and implementing stringent infection control practice and training across Special Health Accommodation sites. Bradley demonstrates inspiring leadership and passion for his work and has empowered and encouraged staff to operate safely and collaboratively with each other and external stakeholders. Bradley is highly regarded amongst his Local Health District colleagues and the broader health system for his professional and diligent work ethic.

Bec Mouy

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

Bec Mouy is an outstanding emerging leader who leads a key Premer’s Priority program stream for Greener Public Spaces. To date Bec has created and delivered three high profile and highly responsive COVID funding programs in record time. Across the programs, Bec identified key partners and built strong professional collaborations, ensuring program resilience and the greatest benefit to the community. Bec exemplifies great leadership when managing complex issues and interrogates all the information available, while considering the wider social, political and economic context, to quickly determine a well-rounded solution that supports all key stakeholders. Bec works at the highest calibre of professionalism, delivering exceptional work and encourages those around her to do the same.

Kaitlyn Vette

Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, HEALTH

Kaitlyn is a dedicated, passionate and highly collaborative emerging leader in public health who has provided outstanding leadership of critical research projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an epidemiologist at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), she has collaboratively delivered on several multi-organisational projects investigating the true rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in NSW and nationally. Kaitlyn is dedicated in her pursuit of public service, with broad experience in managing infectious disease threats in the public sector at state, national and international levels. She is well renowned for her authenticity, diligence and ability to bring people together to excel in achieving outcomes.

Winner: Belgin Tran

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

Belgin Tran is a Service NSW Project Director who has overseen major NSW Government initiatives often requiring urgent rollout to customers in heightened times of need. Belgin has successfully led her fast paced team and many stakeholders across DCS to deliver programs such as COVID Safe Check In, Dine & Discover, Vaccine Expression of Interest webform, Small Business Hardship Grants, Flood Grants and Registrations, COVID School Check In and NSW Mouse Control Rebate. One of the most important roles Service NSW played last year was to support customers and communities through their recovery from COVID-19 and NSW flood disaster. As the front door for recovery for people impacted by recent events, Belgin directed these projects in their initial design phases through to the program delivery.

Honourable Mention: Professor Dominic Dwyer

NSW Health Pathology, HEALTH

Professor Dominic Dwyer’s clinical and scientific expertise and unwavering dedication has placed him at the heart of the State’s efforts to protect our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He is NSW Health Pathology’s Director of Public Health Pathology and medical virologist and infectious diseases physician at NSW Health Pathology's Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR) at Westmead Hospital, as well as a globally renowned researcher and media thought leader. Prof Dwyer’s ground-breaking research and work has enhanced the laboratory investigative capacity in NSW for infectious disease outbreaks and he recently led an expert team developing scientific breakthroughs in the health response to the pandemic. Working around the clock, he has helped establish and deliver a COVID-19 testing rate among the highest in the world per capita.

FINALISTS

Suellen Fitzgerald

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

Suellen Fitzgerald has tirelessly advocated for the creation of a sustainable and unified urban parks agency for Sydney since 2006. She courageously led the vision for and establishment of Western Sydney Parklands, which she then realised through a 10-year program to create a sustainable financial base for the parklands through to the next century. Extending this administrative model over a unified urban parks agency for Sydney, she led a DPIE team to prepare a 50-year vision for Sydney parks and led her team to establish a Greater Sydney Parklands Trust to implement that vision. Suellen is Chief Executive of Greater Sydney Parklands, the innovative new city-wide voice for public green space and parks, bringing together some of Sydney’s most iconic places.

Professor Kristine Macartney

Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, HEALTH

Professor Kristine Macartney has provided outstanding expert leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative actions at state, national and global levels in public health and vaccine response. Kristine’s initiative, leadership and agility has driven expansion of existing and spearheaded new programs to enhance understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, guide introduction of novel COVID-19 vaccines, actively monitor vaccine safety and assist COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Asia-Pacific countries. A highly engaging passionate leader, Kristine’s technical skill and innate ability to motivate, support and inspire collaboration have contributed to the success of NSW and Australia’s COVID-19 response. She has tirelessly supported multiple state, national and global health leaders and advised governments, health professionals and the public through the ever-changing and complex COVID-19 vaccine program introduction.

Liam Ryan

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

In May 2020, Liam Ryan set up a project to tackle the significant challenges now facing NSW with four of our five remaining coal power stations set to retire in the next 15 years. Liam led a cross-functional project team to prepare a once-in-a-generation reform package that became the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020. The Roadmap will deliver up to $32 billion of investment over the next 10 years and transition NSW to a more secure, affordable and clean energy future. This project would not have succeeded without Liam’s leadership. His dedication, expertise and public service professionalism were exemplary. His tireless and collaborative work will deliver public value for the people of NSW, both now and in the future.

Dr June Song

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

In an area of the public service that was recently described by the NSW Ombudsman as a "shell game", quiet achiever June Song has elevated the Natural Resources Access Regulator from a reactive, complaint-response water management agency, to a proactive, intelligence led regulator capable of tackling the State's largest water compliance issues. Through her efforts in automating linkages between the NSW Water Accounting, Water Licensing and Geographic Information Systems with cutting-edge satellite data feeds, the people of NSW and the Murray-Darling Basin can have confidence that breaches of water law can and will be detected, and acted on, to restore public confidence, transparency and equity in the State's management of its most precious resource – water.

Winner: Development of Skilling for Recovery for A Strong Economy

Department of Education, EDUCATION

The development of Skilling for Recovery (SfR) aimed to address impacts of COVID-19 on NSW workers and industries. With minimal resources, the team designed and secured $318.6m for initiatives to upskill, retrain, redeploy and employ displaced workers. They identified and targeted key pain points in real displaced worker persona ‘journeys’ and established customer-centred navigation and advice. They traced ‘job corridors’ to ‘job opportunity’ occupations then unlocked connections between workers, skilling and employers needing skilled workers. 

Honourable Mention: NSW Health Solar Program

Ministry of Health, HEALTH

NSW is leading the world in solar energy for public health. This year the largest solar-panel system on a hospital in the world was completed (John Hunter Hospital); ten major hospitals now have solar roofs, with the whole health system following. Health’s electricity bills have been reduced by $8 million, and approximately 33,000 tonnes of carbon emissions—the equivalent emission from 7,000 cars—were stopped. This project is building a stronger future for health care in NSW. Through a better energy supply more money can go into our state’s health during crises, making the health system more resilient for decades—no matter what crises we face.

FINALISTS

NSW Government Graduate Program

Public Service Commission, PREMIER AND CABINET

In five years, the NSW Government Graduate Program has become the premier graduate program in Australia and has seen over 800 graduates participate. The retention of graduates in the sector is around 80% and many graduates are well on their way to becoming leaders, moving quickly through the non-executive grades. The unified program creates meaningful jobs in regional and metropolitan NSW and provides a pathway for graduates from all backgrounds to grow and realise their potential as future leaders. Those who complete the program are well rounded individuals who model the public service values in serving the citizens of NSW.

NSW Personal Injury Commission Team

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

The establishment of the NSW Personal Injury Commission (PIC) in 2021 was a significant milestone in the NSW Government’s commitment to reform the workers compensation by creating a single dispute resolution body for both compulsory third party insurance motor accidents and workers compensation cases. The PIC is an independent, modern, future-proofed tribunal focused on customer service delivery with respect to personal injury dispute resolutions in New South Wales. It is designed to improve the experience for all customers while reducing any process trauma for injured people navigating disputes in both the workers compensation and motor vehicle accidents schemes.

Revenue NSW taxes and analytics taking a customer-centred approach to reduce the tax gap

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

Over the last 3 years Revenue NSW collected $370m in additional revenue and is continuing to make it easier for customers to comply. Future forecasts to close the gap between what is paid and what should be paid are predicting an additional $1bn. The teams are using innovative service design and applying unique combinations of customer design thinking, behavioural science, compliance by design and analytics, to innovate the online experience for customers and create greater payment flexibility. Collaborating with colleagues around the Department of Customer Service and in NSW Treasury, a series of different initiatives delivered significant improvements the overall customer experience.

Partners
NSW Treasury

Transport's Aboriginal Career Development and Mentoring Program

TRANSPORT NSW

Our Aboriginal workforce brings much valued skills and knowledge not just to Transport but to the NSW community. The Aboriginal Career Development and Mentoring Program (ACDMP) provides aspiring Aboriginal leaders from across Transport with an opportunity to develop their careers through structured mentoring. A reverse mentoring component builds cultural capability amongst senior leaders when supporting these career development outcomes. The ACDMP has been successful in developing relationships, respect and opportunities for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people across Transport.

Winner: COVID Safe Check-In App

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

With COVID-19 reaching Australia, the importance of contact tracing required a tool to allow businesses and customers to record their contact information. Service NSW in partnership with NSW Health and the broader Department of Customer Service (DCS) rapidly developed a check-in solution, using QR Codes, offered via the MyServiceNSW App. Through this digital solution, NSW has managed to track and contain COVID-19 in our community, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of NSW. The effectiveness of this solution has led other state governments to develop similar solutions, a demonstration of how NSW Government is leading the way.

Partners
NSW Health

Honourable Mention: NSW Health’s COVID-19 vaccination management systems

eHealth NSW, HEALTH

Since the inception of NSW Health’s COVID-19 vaccination program, eHealth NSW rapidly developed a digital system to fast-track the vaccination of frontline workers. This solution continued to be enhanced and was ultimately made available for bookings by general public. In parallel, to ensure scalability and ease of use, work commenced with industry to design a platform for managing the entire vaccination administration process: from booking an appointment, to tracking vaccination doses, recording clinical information and interfacing with the Australian Immunisation Register.

Partners
NSW Ministry of Health, Local Health Districts, ICT industry partners (Microsoft, ServiceNow, Dialogue, Whispir)

FINALISTS

A Childhood Cancer National Precision Medicine Program

Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, HEALTH

Zero Childhood Cancer is transforming the management of high-risk cancer in children. Each tumour undergoes rapid, comprehensive genome sequencing and drug testing which is then analysed by a national tumour board. The trial identified reportable molecular aberrations in more than 90% of patients, and to date 25% of patients have received a new treatment with the majority showing clinical benefit – 40% have had a cessation of tumour growth and 30% have had their tumours shrink. This comprehensive, national precision medicine program, spearheaded by our team has led to profound changes in management and outcomes for children with high-risk cancers from around Australia.

Partners
Prof Michelle Haber, Children’s Cancer Institute

Connecting patients and clinicians with results in real time to save lives

NSW Health Pathology, HEALTH

A unique collaboration has delivered an innovative, integrated diagnostic pipeline, resulting in a world-first in open diagnostic equipment connectivity. Point of care diagnostic technology across NSW Health’s public hospital system is connecting patients and clinicians with results in real time, enabling results that took hours to only take minutes. Clinical teams can quickly determine the risk of transferring acutely ill patients to larger hospitals, and pathology results and vital signs data can be sent directly to clinical staff via electronic medical records or myHealthRecord in near real-time to save more lives.

Partners
eHealth, Siemens, Microsoft, NewieVentures and Dius

NSW Telestroke Service

NSW Health, HEALTH

The NSW Telestroke Service saves lives and reduces disability for stroke patients in rural and regional NSW. Telestroke is a virtual care initiative providing access to ground-breaking time-critical treatments previously limited or unavailable due to geographical barriers. Telestroke connects local Emergency Department doctors to stroke specialists, available 24/7 via video consultation. Patients receive treatment closer to home and are only transferred if they need more complex treatment.

Partners
South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Agency for Clinical Innovation, eHealth NSW, Hunter New England Local Health District, Mid North Coast Local Health District, Central Coast Local Health District, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Northern NSW Local Health District, Western NSW Local Health District, Southern NSW Local Health District, Far West Local Health District, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Stroke Foundation

Turning the other cheek on COVID-19 quarantine testing

Sydney Local Health District, HEALTH

Within days after the NSW Premier asked all 3,500+ Sydney airport, quarantine and border workers to have a COVID-19 test at the start of every shift, a collaboration led by Sydney Local Health District and NSW Health Pathology created a COVID-19 saliva self-testing solution — making it easier to get test samples at scale and faster to get results. A mobile app was developed and approximately 50 kiosks were installed at all quarantine facilities and at Sydney Airport. This solution has enabled ongoing surveillance of quarantine and border workers and early detection of COVID transmission.

Partners
Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health Pathology, State Health Emergency Operations Centre, eHealth NSW, Ms Nicole Nixon & Mr Yazz Krishna Alphalitica Pty Ltd (trading as Five Faces), St Johns Ambulance

Winner: The Game Changer Challenge

Department of Education, EDUCATION

The Game Changer Challenge is the NSW Department of Education’s annual design thinking initiative that promotes future-focused skills among students and teachers. Open to all 2,200+ NSW public schools, the challenge provides primary and secondary students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to solving a real-world ‘wicked’ problem, translating learning from the classroom into a real-life context. The challenge ensures our young people are equipped with the skills they need for future jobs.

FINALISTS

Aboriginal Learning and Engagement Centres

Department of Education, EDUCATION

Supported by NSW Premier's Implementation Unit, Aboriginal Learning and Engagement Centres were identified to deliver personalised learning support to increase numbers of students supported across critical learning points in later secondary schooling to achieve the HSC. This aligns with Premier's Priority to increase HSC attainment for Aboriginal students by 50% by 2023 while maintaining their cultural identity.

Centres have operated for over 1 year in 17 secondary public schools reaching 1300 students in Years 10-12, and feedback from Year 10 Aboriginal students indicates a 20% uplift in students reporting that they feel their culture is valued and that their teachers value their culture.

Partners
NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations, NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group

Outside School Hours Care Hubs – Innovative solution for before and after school care

Department of Education, EDUCATION

In 2019, the NSW Government allocated $120 million to improve access to before and after school care (BASC) at public schools across the state, to fill gaps in access to care and clear waiting lists in areas of high demand. The Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Hub Program is one strategy developed by the BASC Program Team which delivers custom-made modular buildings that offer onsite care in schools who lack appropriate existing facilities, and have suitable, available space for a modular building. Each hub includes equipment tailored to the needs of each school including additional educational resources, play equipment, toilets and storage.

Partners
Camp Australia

Time for Nature, Time for Nurture

Department of Education, EDUCATION

Time for Nature, Time for Nurture is a whole school initiative centred around creating meaningful, unique and interactive learning experiences for students with complex mental health needs, autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. With the help of various grants, the team created programs and learning spaces that allow students to engage with nature and sustainability in a real and practical way. Since the introduction of this initiative, there has been an increase in student attendance and staff satisfaction, and a decrease in significant incidents and student suspension numbers.

Partners
Cherub Landscaping

Winner: Welcome to the NSW Health Mass Vaccination Centre

Sydney Local Health District, HEALTH

As part of the roll-out of NSW’s Vaccination Program, NSW Health under the leadership of State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC) set about establishing a mass vaccination centre to significantly increase the capacity of NSW to vaccinate its citizens. SLHD and SHEOC operationalised the first mass vaccination centre for NSW and vaccinated more than 300,000 people in its first two months. From its inception, they have put the customer at the centre to ensure that the experience of every person vaccinated is a positive one to increase the confidence of the community in being vaccinated.

Partners
Sydney Local Health District, SHEOC, Western Sydney Local Health District, South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW Department of Customer Service, Department of Communities and Justice, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Transport NSW, NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, HealthShare NSW, St Johns Ambulance, HealthDirect, eHealth, Ramsay Healthcare, University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, Five Faces, Patti’s Hire, Exponet, KADOR, DJ WEAR managing agents, GJS Property 

Honourable Mention: Getting Beau to school!

TRANSPORT NSW

Punchbowl Bus Company approached Transport to see how they could support Year 3 student (Beau) from Bradfordville Public School, Goulburn, to travel to school with his friends and siblings. Beau has a physical disability that has made it difficult for him to catch his school bus, having to slide on his bottom to get up and down stairs, a degrading situation, before being confined to a wheelchair that the bus didn’t cater for. Helping Beau required some out of the box thinking that challenged Transport’s way of working. The Southern Contracts team worked with the school, the bus operator and Beau’s family to think outside the box and put arrangements in place to get Beau to school for 2020!

FINALISTS

COVID-19 Communications Campaign – Outbreak Response

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Brand, Digital and Communications team at the Department of Customer Service has supported the NSW Government’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering a large scale and highly targeted public health advertising campaign. Working collaboratively with other agencies across government, the team has delivered critical, relevant and engaging information to citizens and businesses when and where they needed it, particularly during outbreaks. This work has helped establish NSW Government’s reputation as the trusted source of information during the pandemic and empowered the community and businesses to play their part in keeping NSW COVID safe.

Partners
NSW Health, Multicultural NSW

Flood and Bushfire response teams

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

In response to the 2019-20 bushfires, Service NSW quickly established a team to help communities facing the devastation left behind. Teams were on the ground in disaster assistance hubs connecting communities with essential supports and resources such as access to accommodation and food, financial relief payments and legal assistance. This support was instrumental in helping people get back on their feet and starting the road to recovery. In March 2021, communities across the state were again left devastated by catastrophic storms and floods, and Service NSW response teams were again quickly deployed to provide essential support and assistance to those affected.

Primary Care Flying Squad

Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, HEALTH

The Primary Care Flying Squad (PCFS) consists of multidisciplinary team Primary Care clinicians to create a flexible service model that improves specialty healthcare services to patients. The project provides targeted, timely state-wide patient care that maximises clinicians’ ability to deliver care, particularly in rural locations, and increases Health Centre staff's clinical capabilities in clinical decisions, triage and referral. Patients have improved access to care based on their clinical need and informed throughout the process through timely and effective communication notifications.

Stay Healthy HSC Campaign

NSW Education Standards Authority, EDUCATION

What started out as a low-key wellbeing initiative between the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and mental health service provider ReachOut, was set to become the largest cross-sector HSC campaign ever rolled out in NSW. The #StayHealthyHSC communications campaign encouraged Year 12 students to maintain their mental and physical health leading up to and during their HSC exams. Targeting NSW Year 12 students and their parents, the campaign used organic social media, paid social media and content creator components to amplify campaign messaging and drive customers to wellbeing resources on the Stay Healthy HSC Hub. It generated over 10.8 million impressions across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Tiktok.

Partners
ReachOut Australia, The Association of Independent Schools of NSW, Catholic Schools NSW, Design and Opinion

Winner: Hotel Quarantine Program

Department of Regional NSW, REGIONAL NSW

The NSW Hotel Quarantine Program exemplifies the successful collaboration between cross-NSW government agencies to achieve a common objective – responding to the Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order. The program is arguably the largest security operation of a continuous nature run in Australia’s history, requiring unprecedented outstanding performance from the NSW security industry - a process managed by the Public Works Advisory (PWA) within Regional NSW. By June 2021 over 200,000 people were processed across 22 quarantine hotel sites. The PWA conducted 4,913 audits of key risk areas and vulnerabilities, and up to 2,748 authorised guards provided almost 3.9 million hours of security work.

Partners
NSW Police, NSW Health, Treasury 

Honourable Mention: Emergency Services Project Team – Service NSW

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Emergency Services Portfolio project team has supported numerous major NSW Government initiatives including support measures for COVID-19, Bushfires and Flood grant relief. Project teams are stood up quickly with involvement of teams across Department of Customer Service and Service NSW (Service Delivery, Partnerships, Projects and Insights, Digital, Risk, Strategy and Performance), as well as partner agencies (Resilience NSW, NSW Health, Treasury, Regional NSW, Destination NSW).

FINALISTS

The COVID-19 Critical Intelligence Unit

Agency for Clinical Innovation, HEALTH

The COVID-19 Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) was formed by the Secretary of NSW Health in March 2020 and swiftly established itself as a valuable source of integrated evidence, and support for decision-makers across the NSW health system and beyond. The unit developed innovative approaches to evidence and data collation and established a flexible, agile and low-cost operating model able to respond to changes in circumstances and urgency. It brings together clinical, analytic, research and policy experts from across NSW Health and has paved the way for the adoption of new evidence-generation and dissemination approaches post-pandemic.

Partners
eHealth, Ministry of Health, NSW Ambulance, Bureau of Health Information, Cancer Institute NSW

Disaster Response Legal Service

Legal Aid NSW, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

Demand for legal help soared following the devastating 2019–20 bushfires, as individuals faced urgent legal problems about their housing, insurance, workplace rights and debts. Legal Aid NSW rapidly established the Disaster Response Legal Service (DRLS), offering trauma-informed legal help where it was needed most. A multi-channel approach included a dedicated helpline and solicitors on the ground in communities. The DRLS has provided over 2150 legal services in its first 18 months and helped shape a resilient NSW through proactive community legal education, reaching over 3000 people.

Gayini Nimmie-Caira wetlands

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

The restoration of the Gayini Nimmie-Caira has delivered the ecological restoration of a wetland complex at a scale unmatched since federation, returned the land to Indigenous ownership and management, and created a sustainable commercial enterprise to drive the local economy and fund ongoing investment into the environment for the future. The Gayini Nimmie-Caira project area covers nearly 85,000 hectares in the lower reaches of the Murrumbidgee River floodplain. Its restoration is one of the most ambitious projects under the Murray Darling Basin Plan and nationally it is the most successful example of public funds being used to further inspire investment for the benefit of the environment, business and regional communities.

Keeping NSW COVID safe during testing times throughout 2020/21

NSW Health Pathology, HEALTH

NSW Health Pathology’s 15 dedicated COVID labs have performed millions of COVID-19 tests. Highly respected experts have carried out robust scientific evaluations of emerging technologies to support a fast, comprehensive state-wide response. Key scientific innovations and the creation of an automated SMS solution to deliver faster results direct to patients for the first time have been game changing. Trusted globally, NSWHP’s Professor Dominic Dwyer was one of 17 experts invited by the World Health Organisation to visit Wuhan to trace the origins of the virus. Importantly, NSWHP’s 5,000+ workforce works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our community safe.

Winner: Electronic Monitoring Team

Department of Communities and Justice, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

To monitor Domestic and Family Violence perpetrators and protect victims, Electronic Monitoring staff developed and operationalised front-end procedures to provide sound and effective monitoring to a group of high-risk Domestic Violence offenders who had an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order with a defined geographical exclusion. This was overlayed with a group of victims who are provided with a device that allows them to be co-monitored against the location of specific offenders. The program was the first of its kind in Australia and has run continually since. Over 400 offenders having been monitored on the program which is delivered by Electronic Monitoring staff 24/7.

FINALISTS

A fairer fines system and support for the vulnerable

Department of Customer Service, CUSTOMER SERVICE

A fairer fines system for all has been developed to help break cycles of disadvantage for vulnerable people including First Nations people and vulnerable youth. Experience and customer feedback indicated the system was burdened with complicated processes and was ineffective for vulnerable customers who experience difficulty paying their fines. A fairer fines system was created by amending legislation and introducing the Fines Amendment Act 2019 (the Act), implementing innovative technology, providing a wider range of options, being proactive in approach to customers and through collaboration with vulnerable customers, government and non-government organisations.

Partners
Department of Communities and Justice

Innovations in Sydney District Pregnancy Family Conferencing

Sydney Local Health District, HEALTH

Sydney Local Health District has produced a trauma-informed program offered to women and their families where significant child protection concerns have been identified for their unborn or newborn baby. Approximately half the families referred are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and experience a range of vulnerabilities including substance use, mental illness, homelessness and domestic and family violence. The program aims to give families a voice in the process and participation is voluntary with meetings facilitated by an independent person. Families can meet with a Parent Supporter who has lived experience of the program and who provide a source of support, improving families’ experience of participating and therefore their ability to create meaningful and sustained change to break the cycle of disadvantage.

Partners
Department of Communities and Justice Sydney District

Reducing Restrictive Practices in the Forensic Hospital

Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, HEALTH

The Forensic Hospital (FH) is the only high secure mental health facility in NSW. Patients have been transitioned from the criminal justice system due to mental illness or are high-risk civil mental health patients that can't be safely cared for in community inpatient units. Traditionally within mental health security facilities, seclusion and restraint have been used for patients with aggressive behavioural disturbances. In 2016, the Hospital pursued a more recovery oriented and trauma informed approach to care and reduce restrictive practices. The Hospital is seeing significant reduction of restrictive practices, reduced staff injuries due to patient aggression and increased health outcomes for patients in our care.

Suicide Monitoring System

Department of Communities and Justice, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

Reducing suicide deaths is a critical priority, but efforts have been hampered by a lack of detailed, up-to-date data. To address this, NSW Health, Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), the State Coroner and NSW Police collaborated to establish NSW’s first Suicide Monitoring System (SuMS). The system provides information to communities and government agencies to respond to suicide in a timely and coordinated way and helps to guide local planning and responses, supporting local Suicide Prevention Collaboratives. Initial data shows that suicide deaths in NSW reduced by nearly 5% in 2020.

Partners
NSW Health, NSW Police

Wirrimbirra Aboriginal Family Preservation Service

Department of Communities and Justice, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

Wirrimbirra, a Wiradjuri word meaning “to keep or preserve”, is supporting Aboriginal families to stay together safely and children to grow up with kin and on country. Launched in early 2020, Wirrimbirra is designed by Aboriginal practitioners, employs 90% Aboriginal workers and walks alongside families to achieve positive change in their lives. The service is having successes in working with families whose children are at high-risk of entering care. It has earned a high degree of community trust in supporting families to shape their own future, through case management, access to therapeutic services and practical in-home assistance for up to two years.

Partners
NSW Health, NSW Police

Winner: Free Tree Giveaway

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

To create a sustainable and liveable Greater Sydney, we need more green cover. In August 2020, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment launched a pilot Free Tree Giveaway across Greater Sydney and more than 20,700 trees were planted in yards across every LGA. Community feedback revealed 49% of participants planted more trees in their backyard as a result, 81% encouraged others to plant trees, and 79% would recommend the program. In 2021, the Free Tree Giveaway was scaled with two partnerships, Bunnings and IndigiGrow, an aboriginal enterprise nursery. The program has delivered over 55,000 trees to date. Every tree contributes to the Greening our City Premier’s Priority of one million trees across Greater Sydney by 2022.

Partners
IndigiGrow Nursery, Bunnings Group Limited 

FINALISTS

Creating a lasting legacy – the Wyong Hospital Redevelopment

Health Infrastructure, HEALTH

The Wyong Hospital Redevelopment is revolutionising healthcare with infrastructure that embraces a bespoke arts and culture program and created a wealth of local employment opportunities. The redevelopment has provided sustainable infrastructure to support the community's health needs. It is more than a hospital – it’s a safe space for the Central Coast community that connects people to vital services, provides employment opportunities and supports people to live healthier lifestyles. The project improved opportunities in the construction sector for marginalised and local populations during the COVID pandemic. A bespoke art and culture strategy created a culturally safe and welcoming facility for all.

Partners
Central Coast Local Health District, Richard Crookes Constructions, Novaskill, The Creative Ingredient, The Makers Studio Central Coast Inc., Colliers International Project Management, Wesley Wyong OOSH, GNL/Gudjagang Ngara Li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation, Nunyara Aboriginal Health Unit, Darkinyung Language Group Inc, Central Coast Local Health District Aboriginal Health Advisory Council

Leagues Club Park, Gosford

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, PLANNING, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT

Leagues Club Park has been transformed from an under-utilised field into an innovative, versatile and culturally significant space for the entire community to enjoy. The Park facilitates play, community events, sport and exercise, and environmental stewardship within its 2.4 hectares. The project was led by Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation which worked collaboratively across government and with local stakeholders to deliver community benefits for Gosford and the wider region. Leagues Club Park is a new drawcard for the Gosford CBD, supporting the local economy while improving community wellbeing in a city experiencing unprecedented growth.

Partners
Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (major partner), Central Coast Council, Turf Design Studio

Newtown Station Garden

TRANSPORT NSW

Newtown Garden is located beside Newtown Train Station and revitalises underutilised land owned by Sydney Trains to provide an urban farming precinct to support the local community. This upcycled green space is an innovation which scales an affordable kit-of-parts to grow high-yield, high-turnaround crops to support the local not-for-profit business, Lentil As Anything. Newtown Garden provides a triple bottom line solution with social, environment and economic benefits for customers, the community and Transport and hopes to expand along the transport network connecting the people of NSW with more sustainable places to live healthier lifestyles.

Partners
Lentil As Anything

Rapid roll-out of new bike riding infrastructure in response to COVID-19

TRANSPORT NSW

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with physical distancing restrictions on public transport and surging bike sales, Transport for NSW delivered new bike riding infrastructure and encouraged more people to ride a bike instead of driving or catching public transport. This included more than 28km of additional cycleways rolled out, or in delivery, across Sydney and regional NSW; reduced speed limits across ten areas; an advertising behaviour change campaign; creating a Bike Riding TripPlanner giving customers a choice of bike routes by confidence level; funding tech start-ups to tackle barriers for new bike riders; and making transportnsw.info the one-stop shop for walking and bike riding customer information.

Share our Space

Department of Education, EDUCATION

Share our Space (SoS) offers communities access to green spaces and play equipment at participating schools by opening school grounds during holiday breaks. SoS now runs activations across NSW delivered in partnership with the Office of Sport and Sporting Codes to give the community a reason to come into the green space and participate in sporting activities. Partnering with the PCYC, Headspace and Regional NSW, quality programs are offered in regional and metro schools to engage youth and community. Activations run in vulnerable communities affected by drought to provide vocation education and wellbeing activities for communities in times of need.