Award Winners for the 2025 Tasmanian Awards Program
Life Member Award 2025
Karen Hampton
At our Conference Gala Dinner recently we bestowed a Life Membership to Karen Hampton. Karen started her career in local government at the age of 15 at Kentish Council in an administrative role. In 2004 Karen joined the Cradle Coast Authority as its Executive Officer. Karen was the first female non General Manager to be elected State President of the LGMA (now known as LG Pro) from 2014 to 2016. Karen moved from the Cradle Coast Authority to Devonport City Council in 2011 and served with huge distinction there until she retired this year. Karen is well respected within our sector, she has mentored many and and leaves a legacy she should be incredibly proud of. Thank you for your service to Local Government Karen and we could not think of anyone more deserving of a Life Membership than you.
Emerging Leaders Award 2025
Trent Smith
Congratulations to Trent Smith from West Tamar Council for being awarded the 2025 Local Government Professionals Tasmania Emerging Leaders Award. Trent has led his team over a period of change within the business, managing daily operations and resourcing issues, directly handling customer interactions, and being involved in the delivery of capital projects. Trent has been able to provide high quality playing fields across the municipality and was often seen on weekends attending to the grounds to ensure they are as best prepared as they can be for the community. Trent has been with West Tamar Council for nearly three years and in this time has developed a strong rapport with many longer serving employees within his team and is highly regarded within Council. Since taking on more responsibilities, Trent has been proactive reviewing the work undertaken by his team on grounds, open spaces and playground areas. He has assisted with drafting a new Level of Service document for Council Sports Grounds which will lead to improved efficiencies in operations and consistency of preparation of our grounds. Trent has been diligent in progressing Council’s WHS improvement agenda and coordinating WHS training for his team. Trent’s recent work coordinating with Cricket Tasmania and delivering grounds for an underage national championship in early 2025 has led to West Tamar’s facilities being selected for other championships in the next few years, which is great recognition to Trent and his team.
Excellence in Leadership Award 2025
Micky Young
Congratulations to Micky Young who was awarded the 2025 Local Government Professionals Tasmania Excellence in Leadership Award Stepping into a newly created role, Micky has led Clarence Council in moving away from a business-as-usual linear economy, driving a shift toward a circular, sustainability-focused model in the evolving waste and resource recovery sector. His key achievements include developing Clarence Council’s inaugural Waste & Resource Recovery Services Policy and delivering pioneering initiatives such as reintroducing soft plastics recycling, the first program of its kind in Tasmania and brokering a partnership with Tyrecycle to deliver a free car tyre amnesty. Both initiatives were designed to inspire behaviour change and strengthen trust between Council and the community. There success has secured further investment in our Community Waste Programs, enabling additional targeted initiatives this financial year. Importantly, these efforts have also encouraged other Tasmanian councils to adopt similar approaches, amplifying the impact beyond our municipality. Micky’s leadership lies in recognising opportunities, uniting stakeholders, and delivering inclusive, practical solutions that embed circular economy principles for a sustainable future.
Organisational Excellence Award 2025
Break O’Day Council, George Town Council, Meander Valley Council, Flinders Council, Northern Midlands Council, Dorset Council, City of Launceston and West Tamar Council
… who collectively took out the 2025 Local Government Professionals Tasmania Organisational Excellence Award for its Northern Tasmanian Alliance for Resilient Councils (NTARC) project designed to build Climate Resilience Capacity, and Capability throughout the north led by Katrina Graham.
Community Service Delivery Award 2025
Central Coast Council
Congratulations to Tasmania’s Central Coast Council who were awarded the 2025 Local Government Professionals Tasmania Community Service Delivery Award for its Tobruk Park Sensory Garden project. The Tobruk Park Sensory Garden transformed a hazardous, derelict pond into Tasmania’s first purpose built therapeutic public garden. Delivered in-house by Central Coast Council, the $500,000 project rehabilitated degraded land into a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable space supporting mental health, accessibility, and community connection. Developed in consultation with the Dementia Café and Access & Inclusion Group, the garden features accessible pathways, sensory plantings, raised beds, and inclusive signage. The project integrates environmental rehabilitation with human-centred design, creating a model of sustainable urban renewal. Since its completion, it has become a community destination for carers, families, and individuals seeking a safe, healing outdoor environment. Demonstrating both environmental stewardship and social impact, the Tobruk Park Sensory Garden has set a new standard for public space design in Tasmania. Community engagement has been outstanding, with social media posts about the project generating over 81,988 views and 1,088 interactions, reflecting widespread local support.
The awards are proudly sponsored by
