The QPLA Local Government Award provides annual recognition of a Queensland Council/s that have demonstrated outstanding community service through delivery of a program or service.
In 2025, the QPLA Board continues its commitment to equitable recognition across Queensland’s diverse library services by maintaining the revised structure of the Local Government of the Year Awards introduced in 2024.
To better reflect QPLA membership categories and ensure inclusive representation, the awards are divided into two categories, providing a fair opportunity for RLQ and IKC services to be acknowledged alongside larger councils.
Each category will include:
- One winner, awarded $1,000
- One highly commended recipient, awarded a certificate of recognition
This structure ensures that outstanding contributions to public library services are celebrated across all service models and council sizes.
Winners were announced at the QPLA LEaD Professional Development Welcome Reception, held at State Library of Queensland, Tuesday 14 October 2025.
Category 1 – Awarded to those councils with a population over 35,000
WINNER | Townsville City Libraries – Townsville Citylibraries – Refurbishing With Purpose: How Aitkenvale Library Transformed to Meet Community Needs.
Category 2 – Award to councils with a population under 35,000
WINNER | Mareeba Shire Council – Pop-Up Barbers: Celebrate Qld Youth Week with Free Haircuts!.
Congratulations to all award nominees and winners. We encourage all Qld public libraries to submit nominations in 2026.
Information about all awards can be found on the QPLA website.
