- City of Melville has won the Outstanding Achievement award at the second annual Minister for Local Government's Place Innovation Awards.
- The award recognises the City of Melville’s innovative Canning Bridge Place Grants program, which sees paid parking dollars invested back into the community.
- City of Melville’s innovative, community-responsive model highlights a new trial for local government funding.
The City of Melville is pleased to receive the Outstanding Achievement award at the second annual Minister for Local Government's Place Innovation Awards for its Canning Bridge Place Grants program.
The award was announced during the WA’s Local Government Association's (WALGA) annual convention on Wednesday, 9 October.
The Minister’s awards are designed to recognise and promote innovative place-related projects, policies and activities involving local governments in Western Australia.
The City’s grants program was launched in the 2022-2023 financial year and sees up to $120,000 on offer per year from paid parking dollars from the Canning Bridge Activity Centre back into the area to support place improvements, encouraging a safer, more active and vibrant community and business precinct for all who live, work and visit the area.
The grants program was recognised by the Minister for its inventive and responsive, circular economic model.
It is hoped the model will set a new standard for resource allocation in local government, fostering community empowerment and sustainable urban development.
The grant program was trialled for the first time during the 2022-2023 financial year with the funding coming from the Canning Bridge Parking Management Reserve.
The program is currently open for the 2024-2025 financial year with around $120,000 of funding on offer.
Applications are open until Monday, 31 March 2025.
For more information about the Canning Bridge Place Grants, visit www.melvillecity.com.au/canningbridgegrants
Comments attributed to City of Melville Mayor Katy Mair:
“The City of Melville is absolutely thrilled to receive the Outstanding Achievement award at the second annual Minister for Local Government's Place Innovation Awards for our Canning Bridge Place Grants’ program,” said Mayor Mair.
“The Canning Bridge Place Grants program highlights our priority to create vibrant, activated local places and centres and we are proud of what this program has delivered for our community.
“Programs like these are at the heart of our vision for the City – engaging with and responding to local needs and ideas with the right support for both local businesses and the wider community.”
“The program also illustrates the different approaches that can be taken by local governments to create both economic activity and community benefit.”
Image: City of Melville CEO Gail Bowman, Place Facilitator John Jutras, Mayor Katy Mair and Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley