NSW Awards for Planning Excellence

About the State Awards for Excellence Program

Participating in the Awards isn’t just a chance to gain recognition; it’s an opportunity to inspire others, share achievements, and showcase the meaningful work planners do every day. For organisations involved in planning, the Awards are a chance to be publicly recognised for their achievements, and to showcase leading practice across a range of planning disciplines and sectors.

The journey begins with the State and Territory Awards for Planning Excellence, where nominees are selected for their meaningful contributions and inspiring work.

State winners then advance to the National Awards, where the best projects, teams, and individuals come together, demonstrating the power of planning to overcome challenges and drive lasting change. The National Awards are presented at Planning Congress, the most significant annual gathering of planning professionals in Australia.

For questions on the State Awards for Excellence program get in touch with us on [email protected]. For National Awards enquiries, contact [email protected]

Award Categories

Below are the Awards offered at the NSW Awards for Planning Excellence, with the majority also awarded at the National Awards level. The Awards indicated in black are only awarded at State level. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I enter the same project in more than one category?

Yes, where appropriate projects may be entered in more than one Award category provided:

• each nomination addresses the specific selection criteria for each category for each project, and
• you pay the relevant entry fee for each category for applicable states/territories only.

How should I present my submission?

The written component of your entry must address the selection criteria and be presented in A4 format. Addressing the selection criteria in a clear and comprehensive manner is essential for the entry to be competitive as the judges use the information to help with assessment. We encourage the close involvement of the project team in preparing the submission as the judges are closely looking at the quality and robustness of the written content rather than the presentation materials.

Whilst some entrants spend money on graphic design for the entry this has no impact on the judging process.

Is the maximum word count and supporting evidence word/page limit strict?

Yes. Any words that are over the word count/page limit will not be viewed by the judging panel.

My project is not geographic/location specific and/or involved input from people around Australia. Which State or Territory Awards should I enter?

You are able to choose any State or Territory to enter a project that is not geographic or location specific and/or involved collaboration with people from a number of different locations but you can only submit one entry in one State or Territory. Multiple entries are invalid.

Types of projects that might fall within this scenario include books or academic papers.

Is there a fee to nominate a project?

Nomination fees are an important part of the financial structure that enables PIA to continue to provide a high-quality Awards program.

Entry Fees are $240 + GST per nomination. The fee is payable for nominations for all categories except:
• Tertiary Student Project
• Young Planner of the Year
• Great Place Award
• Planning Champion Award

PIA has determined that nomination fees will be waived for projects where government agencies or non-for-profit organisations are the sole nominee. This decision has been made in recognition of the difficulties these organisations can have either meeting the expense due to budgetary constraints or because of restrictions on expenditure for governance and/or probity reasons.

Can I submit an International Project?

International projects can only be accepted on the condition they have been undertaken by an Australian project team/or individual based in Australia.

You are able to choose any State or Territory to enter an international project but you can only submit one entry in one State or Territory. Multiple entries are invalid.

International projects completed by project teams/or individuals who do not reside in Australia are ineligible to nominate.

Will there be an award and/or commendation in every category?

Not necessarily. Judges analyse all the entries in a category, looking for projects that demonstrate excellence against the category objective and selection criteria. If none of the entries are judged as having reached the threshold of excellence to receive an award or commendation, then the category will pass unawarded.