The Bogan Gate Recreation Reserve has won the 2025 Crown Land Management Excellence Award at the 7NEWS NSW and ACT Community Achievement Awards.

It marks a major milestone in community-led efforts to revitalise the town.

Among hundreds of nominations in total, the reserve's volunteer Land Manager Board was announced the winner from a strong field of community contributors.

It all took place at an awards gala dinner at the Shangri-La Sydney on 29 November before 350 guests who gathered from across the state, including the ACT.

The award recognises the Reserve Board’s outstanding leadership in restoring vital community infrastructure and boosting sporting and social participation.

Since 2021, the Board has secured close to a million dollars in funding for significant upgrades, including the resurfacing and transformation of the tennis courts into multipurpose courts, which has sparked a resurgence of local sport.

Tennis is thriving again in Bogan Gate, with regular senior and junior development clinics drawing strong numbers.

The multipurpose courts have also enabled the creation of the town’s first-ever open-age women’s sporting team - the Bogan Gate Bunnies netball side - competing successfully in the Small Towns competition.

Member for Orange Phil Donato praised the transformation.

“The work being driven by the Bogan Gate Recreation Reserve Board - Andrew and Katie Britt, Rory Nock, Anthony McIntyre and James Buchanan - is outstanding," he said.

"Their passion and commitment to improving facilities are making Bogan Gate a fantastic place to live.”

Deputy Mayor Marg Applebee said the award reflects the momentum Bogan Gate has built in recent years.

“Bogan Gate is absolutely heading in the right direction. The community spirit, the volunteers, the infrastructure improvements - it’s all coming together to create a more vibrant village and shire," she said.

The Reserve Board says this award marks only the beginning, with new initiatives and further improvements already underway for 2025–26.

The Board has also just been announced one of 19 recipients of the 2025 Seeds of Renewal program.

Seeds of Renewal is a long-standing partnership between ANZ and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, dedicated to supporting vibrant, sustainable rural communities through targeted grants.

The Bogan Gate Recreation Reserve Land Manager has been awarded $15,000 to deliver its Bushfire Safe Landscaping Project.

This locally driven project aims to improve disaster preparedness of a community's safe space by creating defensible zones using bushfire-safe landscaping.