October 2nd, 2025New local government women’s award

Nominations have opened for a new award that will recognise women’s vital contributions to the local government sector in Victoria.

Minister for Local Government Nick Staikos said the inaugural Mary Rogers Award would celebrate women in leadership and support efforts to advance gender equality in the local government sector.

The award is part of $20,000 in government funding for the Victorian Local Governance Association and its work to acknowledge women councillors, raise the profile of women in the sector and highlight the importance of gender equality in local decision making.

The achievement award, announced in August, is named after Victoria’s first woman councillor, Mary Rogers, who was elected to Richmond council in 1920.

Nominations are open for three award categories:

• Mary Rogers Award – Awarded to a current woman councillor for outstanding contributions as a civic leader in Victoria.
• Emerging Woman Leader Award – Awarded to a woman councillor who is demonstrating outstanding leadership in their first term.
• Gender Equality Council Champion Award – Awarded to a council in recognition of their work in supporting women’s participation in local government.

The VLGA will manage the awards process from nominations through to the award ceremony, which will be held at Queen’s Hall at Parliament House later this year.

In addition, the association will also conduct a series of roundtables on gender equality in the sector to help to lift women’s representation and support diversity.

Nominations for the Mary Rogers Awards close at 5pm, Friday, October 24 and can be made at: vlga.org.au/governance-leadership/local-government/mary-rogers-awards