The Vision Super Local Heroes Awards, held in partnership with the Australian Services Union, recognised local government employees who go above and beyond for their community.
The annual awards have run in Victoria for the past five years, and with Vision Super now the default fund for local government in New South Wales as well as Victoria, 2026 saw entries extended across both states. Award ceremonies were held simultaneously on Thursday 14 May in Melbourne and Sydney.
Over 50 nominations were received this year across the four award categories - a record number of entries, which made the judges’ lives very difficult! There could only be eight prize winners, and even though there were tough choices to make, certain stories did stand out.
Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to their community, the winners of the 2026 Local Heroes Awards are:
Environment, Infrastructure and Recreation Local Heroes Award – Metropolitan
Winners: Niamh McGuckian and Matthew Balane, City of Canada Bay Council
Niamh and Matt transformed a routine complaint from a neighbour about overgrown vegetation, hoarding, and vermin into a compassionate, multi-agency response that provided life-changing support for a vulnerable elderly resident. Their work not only resolved the neighbour’s concerns but also strengthened partnerships between council and community organisations, which will continue to help members of the community in complex situations in the future.
Runner-up: Street Cleansing Team, Yarra City Council
The Street Cleansing Team plays a vital role in keeping Yarra clean by removing dumped rubbish, weeds, hard waste, and around 12,000 syringes each month. Working in difficult and often unpleasant conditions, and for among the lowest pay of the City workers, they consistently show dedication, professionalism, and care for their community. A recent example of their outstanding work involved clearing 12 truckloads of waste and 1,300 syringes from a laneway, restoring the area for local traders and residents.
Honourable mentions: Ella Ryan, Brimbank City Council and Sarah Venning, City of Melbourne
Families, Health and Community Development Local Heroes Award – Metropolitan
Winner: Ulfat Sifatullah, Greater Dandenong City Council
Since joining the Dandenong Zero Project in 2022, Ulfat has demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to supporting people experiencing homelessness. He has contributed to helping 42 individuals secure long-term housing and played a key role in establishing the municipality’s first By Name List, which supports coordinated outreach to around 70 vulnerable community members. Beyond his formal role, he also coordinated fundraising initiatives, including a partnership with Dandenong Square that raised around $1,700 for emergency accommodation.
Runner-up: April Wilson, Nillumbik Shire Council
April drives the implementation of council’s Gender Equality Action Plan, ensuring that gender equity is embedded not only in policy, but also in organisational culture, decision-making and service delivery. April leads an internal program of Gender Equity Advocates, which has contributed to the completion of more than 120 equity impact assessments across the organisation over the past four years. She also strengthens collaboration across the family violence sector, co-convening the local Family Violence Network, and supports grassroots sporting clubs across multiple councils to improve gender equity and inclusion.
Honourable mention: Arif Mohammad Azizi, Greater Dandenong City Council
Environment, Infrastructure and Recreation Local Heroes Award – Regional
Winner: Harcourt Fire Responders, City of Greater Bendigo
This group of employees played a critical frontline role during the devastating Harcourt bushfires, displaying courage and selflessness during a major disaster. Their work included grading and maintaining fire containment lines to protect homes and infrastructure, coordinating and delivering fuel supply to keep machinery and emergency equipment operational, and carting water to directly support firefighting efforts. Their actions helped safeguard homes and vital assets, strengthened the broader emergency response, and made a meaningful contribution to the safety and wellbeing of the community they proudly serve.
Runner-up: Jessica Anderson, Goulburn Valley Libraries
Jess was nominated for her outstanding leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability within Victoria’s public library sector. After participating in the Shared Leadership Program through Public Libraries Victoria (PLV) and the State Library, she teamed up with Rachel D’Arcy from Brimbank Libraries to drive sustainability initiatives across Victorian libraries. Together, they established a Sustainability Special Interest Group with 150 subscribers, developed a sustainability portal and interactive map, and secured the Barrett Reid Scholarship. Their report, Public Libraries and Sustainability in Victoria (2025), provides practical guidelines across areas including waste reduction, First Nations engagement, and reducing carbon footprints. Their work has influenced libraries across Victoria, been presented at major conferences in Australia and internationally, and has helped promote long-term sustainable and inclusive practices within the library sector.
Honourable mention: Rebecca Cassidy, Wollondilly Shire Council
Families, Health and Community Development Local Heroes Award – Regional
Winners: Jerome Simpson and Josh Townsend, Armidale Regional Council
After recognising poor communication and workplace culture issues within the council depot, Jerome and Josh led the introduction of the TradeMutt initiative by wearing brightly coloured hats designed to spark conversations about mental health. Their efforts quickly gained support from management and staff, leading to the rollout of over 400 TradeMutt shirts and hats across council workplaces and increased awareness of the TIACS (This Is A Conversation Starter) counselling service for blue-collar workers. Their efforts have since expanded beyond council, inspiring local businesses and other councils to adopt similar mental health strategies. Through their leadership, Armidale has been recognised as a strong advocate for mental health awareness, demonstrating how a simple grassroots idea can create meaningful and lasting change across an entire community.
Runner-up: Joshua Wiffen, Wollongong City Council
Joshua has made a significant contribution to youth and community development across the Illawarra and Wollongong region. He has led initiatives supporting community safety, homelessness services, First Nations engagement, and inclusion for women, LGBTIQ+, neurodiverse, and disadvantaged communities. He has delivered outreach programs focused on food security, recreation, employment pathways, and creative engagement for young people. Joshua has also developed arts, music, and wellbeing initiatives that strengthen community connection and participation. His leadership and dedication continue to create positive and lasting community impact.
Honourable mention: Naomi Owen, Ben Sillay, Lee Ryan, Debbie Kellehear and Leteisha McManus, Cessnock City Council
A $1,000 gift card grand prize was presented to the winner of each award category and $500 gift cards to the runners-up to acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by these individuals or groups.
Nominations for 2027 Local Heroes awards will be open early next year - keep your eye out for your chance to nominate!
Nominations are open to all local government workers, including employees of associated organisations operated by the council and local libraries, who could demonstrate at least one of the criteria:
Made a significant difference to a community or member of a community
Contributed to the safety of an individual or group in the community
Made a substantial contribution to the welfare of a vulnerable person or group in the community.
People who submit a nomination are asked to select a category based on whether the nominee works for a metropolitan or regional council, and the nature of their contribution and/or role at council.