Timely overhaul for Bass Coast community awards to boost inclusion and transparency
A new Access and Inclusion Award has been adopted by Bass Coast Shire Council following a comprehensive overhaul of its community awards program.
THE WAY Bass Coast Shire Council recognises local heroes is about to be transformed following a comprehensive overhaul of the Bass Coast community awards program.
Council has unanimously voted to adopt a fixed three-year programming cycle spanning 2026 to 2028. The shift is designed to establish greater program certainty and ensure the initiative aligns directly with the region's long-term strategic goals.
A central feature of the updated strategy is the introduction of a new Access and Inclusion Award. This permanent addition to the awards will explicitly link the awards ceremony to the objectives of the Council’s Disability Action Plan, ensuring that individuals and groups dismantling local barriers to participation receive consistent, high-profile recognition.
To maintain a fresh focus each year, the council has formalised a rotating award category scheduled across a three-year horizon. Under the newly endorsed framework, the 2026 awards will throw a spotlight on the Environment and Sustainability Award. This will be followed by the Contribution to Arts and Culture Award in 2027, before concluding the cycle with a focus on the Sports Leadership Award in 2028.
In a move to significantly strengthen internal governance, oversight, and community transparency, the composition of the judging panel will be completely revised. The newly structured panel will comprise the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and one additional councillor to be determined on an annual basis.
Crucially, the panel will also integrate the perspectives of previous community leaders and next-generation youth leaders where appropriate. This addition aims to blend experienced civic leadership with fresh, forward-thinking community insights during the deliberations.
It was emphasised that the Bass Coast community awards program remained a well-established and vital initiative for the region, serving as a cornerstone for acknowledging community leadership, volunteerism, and tireless local contributions.
Council moved swiftly to formalise the framework. Councillor Jan Thompson stepped forward to move the recommendation, which was promptly seconded by Councillor Tracey Bell, signalling strong support from councillors to secure the future of the program.
Local advocates have welcomed the structural inclusion of the accessibility criteria, noting that embedding the Disability Action Plan directly into civic recognition frameworks elevated the profile of inclusive practices across the shire.
With the three-year cycle locked in, the revised program will secure the operational pipeline for the community awards through 2028, ensuring Bass Coast volunteers, environmental advocates, artists, and sporting leaders continue to have their contributions celebrated under a modernised, transparent, and highly accountable selection framework.
