Over 600 public administrators unite to celebrate excellence at WA’s premier public service awards
More than 600 public administrators gathered for the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA’s (IPAA WA) 14th annual Achievement Awards, recognising outstanding individuals and organisations across the Western Australian public service.
The ceremony opened with an inspiring Welcome to Country by Isaiah Walley‑Stack, followed by IPAA WA Vice President Morgan Marsh MIPAA as host. In her remarks, Morgan outlined the rigorous three‑stage judging process and commended the high calibre of nominations received this year. IPAA WA was honoured to welcome Co‑Vice Patron Basil Zempilas MLA, Leader of the Opposition, who commented on the importance of a strong public service in providing frank and fearless advice, and how our state and communities benefit greatly from this.
Awards were presented across 21 categories. As was the case in recent years, the Awards saw an influx of nominations for the two collaboration categories and the Best Practice in Innovation award. To ensure a more even playing field for projects with smaller budgets, these awards were split into sub-categories based on project budget. The large number of nominations received in these categories continue to highlight the ground-breaking partnerships and innovative practices delivering better outcomes for the WA community.
In total 36 awards were presented this year, recognising some of the outstanding projects and initiatives being delivered to the WA community, and the leaders and practitioners who make up the public service in Western Australia.
Basil Zempilas MLA, IPAA WA Co-Vice Patron and Leader of the Opposition, returned to present the final award of the day, the IPAA WA Patron’s Award, the highest accolade in public administration in WA.
This year’s Patron’s Award was presented to Sue McCarrey FIPAA in recognition of her significant impact on public administration in Australia, and for her contributions to IPAA WA. Sue has demonstrated outstanding leadership in transport safety, regulatory reform, and governance. In her previous role as Chief Executive of the National Rail Safety Regulator, she oversaw the implementation of a nationally consistent rail safety framework and the establishment of a single national rail safety regulator on behalf of all States and Territories, strengthening collaboration across jurisdictions and industry. In Western Australia, she shaped long‑term transport policy and investment strategies, including freight and port governance reforms.
Morgan Marsh MIPAA then closed the ceremony by congratulating all the winners and thanking all in attendance for coming together to celebrate the professionalism and achievements of the WA public service.
IPAA WA extends its gratitude to all judges, sponsors, and presenters for their support of the Awards and their ongoing commitment to excellence in public administration.
For a full list of winners, please visit https://www.wa.ipaa.org.au/resource/2025-achievement-awards/