The AR Bluett Memorial Award

The AR Bluett Awards will be presented at the conference.


Described as “The greatest accolade a council can achieve” and “The pinnacle of local government achievement”, the AR Bluett Award has been presented annually since 1945. It is contested by councils in NSW that would like to be recognised as being the most progressive in the state.

It was named after Albert Robert Bluett, who served as the Secretary and Solicitor to the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW for 30 years. Bluett was an authority on local government law and his opinion was respected by the legal profession and government Ministers. He also helped to write the Local Government Act of 1919.

Following Bluett’s death in April 1944, the councils of NSW subscribed to a fund as a permanent memorial to his work. This money funds the bronze plaques awarded to the winning councils each year. His legacy also lives on through Bluett Local Government Handbook, often referred to as the Local Government bible.

Entry is open to all NSW councils irrespective of size or resources. The awards trustees encourage NSW councils to enter these prestigious awards and are interested in all aspects of council operations and services.

Entries for the 2023 Awards close on 31 July 2023.

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LGNSW Service Awards

The LGNSW Service Awards will be presented during the Conference Dinner.


LGNSW grants four awards for long-serving elected members as follows:

  • Certificate of Service: a Certificate of Service acknowledges the duration of service of an elected member.
  • Emeritus Mayor: This award acknowledges the service of retired councillors who served as mayors. Academic institutions recognise their retiring valued members with the title of Emeritus Professor; LGNSW recognises its senior members as Emeritus Mayors.
  • Elected Official of the Year: recognises and rewards innovation and service as it occurs.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: acknowledges an exceptional contribution made to the community that an elected official represents or the local government sector.

Applications for the presentation of service awards at the 2023 LGNSW Annual Conference close at 5pm on Tuesday 12 September 2023.

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2022 Winners

Winners of the AR Bluett Award in 2022 were Northern Beaches Council (Metropolitan/Regional) and Mid-Western Regional Council (Rural).

Visit the Service Awards page on the LGNSW website to see the list of recipients of the 2022 Service Awards.