Parkes Shire Council has been recognised with the Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence at the 2026 Fleet News Group Awards after achieving a perfect score from the judging panel during the Fleet of the Year assessment process.
Unlike the Fleet Management Excellence Awards decided through voting by the fleet community across Australia and New Zealand, the Judges’ Award was determined solely by the judging panel.
In fact, the award was not part of the original 2026 awards program.
It was created after Parkes Shire Council’s Fleet of the Year nomination submission and subsequent interview demonstrated such a high level of fleet management maturity that every judge awarded the Council 20 out of 20.
The result was considered too significant to go unrecognised.
A perfect score across every area
Parkes Shire Council was one of three finalists for the 2026 Fleet of the Year Award, alongside Ausgrid and Blacktown City Council.
As part of the assessment process, shortlisted nominees participated in an interview with the judges, providing an opportunity to test the claims made in their submissions and demonstrate the systems, processes and evidence behind their fleet management practices.
Parkes received the maximum score of four out of four across all five areas assessed by the judges: Strategy and Governance; Policies, Processes and Probity; Data and Performance Management; Operations and Compliance; and Continuous Improvement, Sustainability and Technology.
The result was a perfect 20/20.
The judges described Parkes as an “exceptionally mature fleet operation”, highlighting strong governance, disciplined asset management and the organisation’s ability to demonstrate that its policies and strategies were being translated into measurable operational outcomes.
One of the strongest observations from the judging process was simple: “Parkes ticked all boxes well and provided evidence.”
Fleet management backed by evidence
Managing approximately 550 assets valued at around $18 million across a local government area covering approximately 5,000 square kilometres creates a diverse set of operational requirements.
Parkes owns its fleet and operates an in-house workshop, with its fleet management framework including a 10-year replacement program and a strong focus on availability, utilisation, maintenance, whole-of-life costs and asset performance.
What impressed the judges was not simply the number of systems or policies in place, but how they were connected.
TechnologyOne, telematics and fleet reporting are used to provide information for replacement planning, utilisation, compliance, maintenance, costs and operational decision-making.
Around 150 assets are monitored through telematics, while dashboards and reporting provide greater visibility of fleet performance to management.
The Council has also demonstrated how data can lead to tangible improvements. Initiatives highlighted during judging included reducing vehicle idling by approximately 250 hours per week, digital work orders, preventative maintenance improvements, electronic braking systems, near-miss management and the innovative use of vehicle technology for pothole detection.
Recognition of fleet management maturity
The Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence recognises something broader than a single fleet project or initiative.
It recognises the maturity of the management practices behind the fleet.
The judges highlighted Parkes Shire Council’s strong ownership of fleet performance, its use of data to support decisions and its focus on continuous improvement rather than treating fleet management as simply the acquisition, maintenance and disposal of vehicles and equipment.
Its approach demonstrated how fleet can operate as a strategic business function, with governance, asset management, technology, safety, compliance and financial performance working together.
While Parkes progressed to the Fleet of the Year final and was subsequently part of the industry voting process for that award, the Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence was completely separate from the public vote.
It reflects the assessment made by the judging panel during the nomination and interview process.
Achieving a unanimous perfect score of 20/20 from every judge was an exceptional result — and one the Fleet News Group Awards believed demanded recognition.
The inaugural Judges’ Award for Fleet Excellence therefore goes to Parkes Shire Council, recognising an outstanding example of mature, evidence-based fleet management.
