Council fleet's perfect score earns excellence award

Parkes Shire Council has received an extraordinary accolade at the 2026 Fleet News Group Awards in Sydney, with its outstanding performance earning a special award created specifically to recognise its achievement. The inaugural Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence was presented to council last Wednesday night after it achieved a perfect score of 20 out of 20 from five independent industry judges. The result was so exceptional the judges created a special award outside the original awards program to recognise council’s outstanding fleet management practices. Parkes had already been named one of three finalists in the Fleet of the Year category, alongside Ausgrid and Blacktown City Council. The special Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence was a separate recognition, based entirely on the independent judging process rather than the industry vote. Fleet and depot manager Mick O’Shannessy accepted the award on behalf of council, alongside director of operations Logan Hignett. “This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of our fleet and depot team,” Mr O’Shannessy said. “It recognises the effort that goes into keeping our fleet operating efficiently, safely and reliably, so we can continue delivering the essential services our community relies on every day.” As part of the judging process, shortlisted nominees were interviewed by the panel, giving judges the opportunity to test the claims made in their submissions and examine the evidence behind their fleet management systems and practices. Parkes received the maximum four out of four points across all five assessment areas: strategy and governance; policies, processes and probity; data and performance management; operations and compliance; and continuous improvement, sustainability and technology. The judges described Parkes Shire Council as an “exceptionally mature fleet operation”, highlighting its strong governance, disciplined asset management and ability to turn policies and strategies into measurable operational outcomes. One observation from the judging process summed-up the achievement, “Parkes ticked all boxes well and provided evidence". Council manages about 550 assets valued at about $18 million across a local government area spanning roughly 5000 square kilometres. This requires careful planning to ensure vehicles and equipment are available, maintained and fit for purpose across a wide range of services and locations. Council owns its fleet and operates an in-house workshop, supported by a comprehensive management framework that includes a 10-year replacement program. Key priorities include asset availability, utilisation, maintenance, whole-of-life costs and performance. Judges were particularly impressed by how council connects its systems and technology to support practical decision-making. TechnologyOne, telematics and fleet reporting help inform replacement planning, maintenance, compliance, utilisation and operating costs. Telematics monitors about 150 assets, while dashboards and reporting give management greater visibility of fleet performance. The assessment also highlighted tangible improvements driven by data and innovation, including reducing vehicle idling by 250 hours per week, introducing digital work orders, improving preventative maintenance, using electronic braking systems, strengthening near-miss management and trialling innovative vehicle technology for pothole detection. Director of operations Logan Hignett said the award recognised the strength of council’s approach to managing its fleet and the people behind it. “The transformation in how council manages its fleet over recent years has been remarkable, and I genuinely believe we’re now setting a benchmark for the industry,” Mr Hignett said. “We’ve come a long way from what was once a largely paper-based operation to a sophisticated, data driven approach to fleet management. We’re now at a point where other organisations are reaching out to Mick to understand what we’re doing and how we’ve achieved it. "That speaks volumes about how far we’ve come. “To receive a perfect score from five independent industry judges is an extraordinary achievement and a real feather in the cap of our entire fleet and depot team. "They’ve put an enormous amount of work into getting us to this point, and it’s fantastic to see that recognised at an industry level.”