40th Annual WS Lonnie Awards - IPAA Western Australia

March 25, 2025
Award Winners, WS Lonnie Award Winners

The Institute of Public Administration Australia WA’s (IPAA WA) 40th Annual W.S. Lonnie Awards for excellence and accountability in annual reporting was held at the Pan Pacific Perth on Friday 28th March 2025.

IPAA WA President, Jenness Gardner, hosted the ceremony which attracted CEOs, Directors General, Commissioners and professionals from across the government sector, all hoping to take out the prestigious W.S. Lonnie Memorial Trophy – awarded to the best annual report for the year.

The primary vehicle for accountability in the government sector has been and always will be the way agencies report their performance. The W.S. Lonnie Awards recognise the importance of Annual Reports being accountable and transparent in a succinct and independent way. All government sector organisations are eligible and are automatically considered as part of the judging process.

Major Awards and Trophies

W.S. Lonnie Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report for the year.

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

Judges’ Comments:

A very high-level, well-presented report. It provides ample discussion of issues facing the agency, and addresses the plans in place to address these issues. The report is also engaging and well-structured throughout. Performance achieved is set out clearly, and assurance about reliability of performance is also clearly reported.
The report has a good focus on strengthening capability, demonstrating excellence, delivering results, and adapting and innovating. The OAG provide a clear strategic plan showing innovation as a focus, along with staff training and relationship building.

Allan Skinner Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report in the General Government Sector.

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

Judges’ Comments:

The Margaret Nadebaum Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report in the Government Enterprise Sector.

WINNER: Fremantle Ports

Judges’ Comments:

A very informative report, which features a good use of QR codes and case studies. The report provides a clarity of focus in acquitting annual reporting obligations in a reader-friendly manner. It is also well-focused on community and relationship building and includes examples of this throughout.

General Award Winners

Category 1 – Agencies with less than 100 FTEs

Gold Award Winner: Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission

Judges’ Comments:

A good report, with a strong community feel. The report was very easy to read, and featured good graphics, pictures and stats. It was well focused, revolving around clear, strategic goals, and also contained inspiring supporting stories.

Silver Award Winner: Pilbara Development Commission

Judges’ Comments:

The report provides an excellent overview of projects for the year, as well as a strong focus on the future. It also demonstrates good outcomes which were achieved for the local community. The information is clear and well presented, with an engaging and focussed approach to reporting. The performance reporting revolves around five clear and understandable strategic goals.

Bronze Award Winner: Great Southern Development Commission

Judges’ Comments:

A very informative, well-presented, and well-structured report, with clear performance reporting based on five strategic goals. The report also has a good corporate governance section which extends to coverage of internal audit and integrity training, and uses QR codes well to allow a reader to scan for further information.

Category 2 – Agencies with 101 – 1,000 FTEs

Gold Award Winner: Office of the Auditor General

Judges’ Comments:

A very high-level, well-presented report. It provides ample discussion of issues facing the agency, and addresses the plans in place to address these issues. The report is engaging and well-structured throughout. Performance achieved is set out clearly, and assurance about reliability of performance is also clearly reported.
The report has a good focus on strengthening capability, demonstrating excellence, delivering results, and adapting and innovating. The OAG provide a clear strategic plan showing innovation as a focus, along with staff training and relationship building.

Silver Award Winner: Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Judges’ Comments:

An excellent report which covers all areas in a systematic manner and tells a powerful story. Information is easy to find, and the report uses graphics well throughout. All the outcomes are well discussed, and the agency appears to be achieving or enhancing its outcomes. The format is clear and user friendly, and provides a good report of coverage by a multi-faceted agency.

Bronze Award Winner: Health Support Services

Judges’ Comments:

This is a comprehensive report which is very people and relationship building-focussed. It features excellent coverage of corporate governance roles, and provides a clear vision as to where the organisation was heading. The report is easy to navigate and read, and demonstrates good use of links to relevant material, such as videos.

Category 3 – Agencies with more than 1,000 FTEs

Gold Award Winner: Department of Transport

Judges’ Comments:

This report has a clear, logical structure. It also does well to highlight key areas of challenge, capacity, and staffing. The narrative presented is around people and services, and this is very well delivered. It also features a very good use of case studies.

Silver Award Winner: Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Judges’ Comments:

This is a high-level report for the agency with a clear narrative throughout. The report is comprehensive and informative, and focuses on engaging with the community. The electronic format is excellent, and the embedded videos add an extra dimension. The KPIs are all sound, and the level of detail on the outcomes is excellent.

Bronze Award Winner: Main Roads Western Australia

Judges’ Comments:

This report tells a good story and was amongst the few which addressed AI. The report is very appealing and features a good use of graphics. The Governance and Risk sections are excellent and include very good coverage of risks involved in the area. The narrative is very clear around building a better future with roads, and the report provides one of the better examples of stakeholder engagement.

Category 4 – Public Financial and Non-Financial Corporations

Gold Award Winner: Fremantle Ports

Judges’ Comments:

Silver Award Winner: Western Australian Treasury Corporation

Judges’ Comments:

This is an excellent report with very good coverage of KPIs and plans for the future. The report is clear, very well set out, and presents information in an effective way. It provides an interesting narrative around risks and investments. The report has a clear and focussed message, and is also visionary, looking forward from the current accomplishments.

Bronze: Pilbara Ports Authority

Judges’ Comments:

This is a visually appealing report, containing good links and detailed information. In particular, the finance tables were excellent. Navigation was also good, allowing a reader to easily move through the document and encouraging readers to ‘join the journey’ of achievement in a challenging environment. It also provides a very clear outline of delivery, and a future innovative vision.

Specialist Awards

There are six Specialist Awards presented on the day.

Office of the Auditor General Award for Transparency and Accountability

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

Judges’ Comments:

A very high-level, well-presented report. It provides ample discussion of issues facing the agency, and addresses the plans in place to address these issues. The report has a good focus on strengthening capability, demonstrating excellence, delivering results, and adapting and innovating. The OAG provide a clear strategic plan showing innovation as a focus, along with staff training and relationship building.

SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS:

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Main Roads Western Australia

State Records Commission Award for Excellence in Records and Information Management

WINNER: Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Judges’ Comments:

The ODPP’s Annual Report reflects a strong commitment to rigorous record keeping standards and training to support staff across the organisation. Judges were impressed by the recent enhancements made to the security of State archives held by the ODPP. A recent review of the ODPP’s Record Keeping Plan highlighted the need for improvements to the storage of State archives and this has now been addressed by implementing a secure vault storage system, incorporating environmental controls and protections. This will help ensure the preservation of essential information into the future.

Other initiatives described in this year’s Report include the review and update of training provision across the organisation; setting clear record keeping expectations; seeking feedback from staff, and the provision of targeted induction sessions to set high standards of information governance. The ODPP Annual Report is a solid account of the organisation’s commitment to robust and transparent record keeping practices.

SPECIAL COMMENDATION: WA Country Health Service

Public Sector Commission Award for Good Governance

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

Judges’ Comments:

The Office of the Auditor General’s report:

is clearly structured with clear links to the agency s 4 strategic pillars demonstrating the objective, strategic direction and desired future states.
clearly outlines the agency s excellence in people leadership and management and how this contributes to individual and organisational goals.
satisfies all compulsory governance and reporting requirements.

The report clearly and efficiently explains the agency’s strategic direction and how each strategic pillar will support the Office of the Auditor General to overcome the risks and challenges identified in the report.”

CPA Australia Award for Performance Reporting

WINNER: Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Judges’ Comments:

The report was clear, well-structured, and aligned with key objectives and services. The integration of photos into video was excellent, with video links enhancing accessibility. The “picture-in-picture” summaries were effective. Photography was relevant and supported performance. Financials were well-presented, with a clear contents page, detailed notes, and a strong breakdown of assets. The KPI summary, with colour coding, was useful but slightly weakened by exemptions.

Award for Complaints Handling

WINNER: Fremantle Ports

Judges’ Comments:

SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS:

East Metropolitan Health Service
Commissioner for Children and Young People
Child and Adolescent Health Service

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Award for Chief Financial Officer of the Year

WINNER: Brad Francis – Chief Financial Officer, Edith Cowan University

Judges’ Comments:

“We selected Brad as our preferred candidate for his strong, well-rounded performance and achievements across all categories. He demonstrated strategic vision and impact, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including ECU’s Council, executive management, external auditors, government agencies, and financial institutions. His innovative use of data analytics and exemplary leadership in fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and empowerment further solidified his nomination.”

SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Ludisha Kalasopatan – Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries