Published on Friday, 25 July 2025 at 9:00:00 AM
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is proud to announce that Director Governance and Organisational Strategy, Frances Liston, has been awarded a Merit Award as part of this year’s WALGA Local Government Honours Program.
The Merit Award recognises Elected Members and Officers who have made outstanding contributions to local government. Frances joins a distinguished group of recipients from across Western Australia whose dedication embodies the highest standards of public service and whose efforts have helped strengthen integrity, transparency, and good governance within their communities.
WALGA acknowledged that Frances’ leadership, innovation and commitment to best practice have elevated professional standards within the City and serve as a benchmark within the Local Government sector.
They also recognised her delivery of transformational change through the implementation of a raft of new governance and procedural policies that have yielded profound, measurable outcomes for the City.
Joining in 2022, at a time when the City was undertaking a review to address issues around organisational culture, Frances used a systematic risk and priority-based approach to develop policies, procedures, guidelines, and manuals to address the highest-risk areas first.
Frances’ insight, determination, knowledge, and firm belief in the importance of Local Government has reformed the City to be able to operate more efficiently and in good conscience.
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder CEO Andrew Brien congratulated Frances on the well-deserved recognition.
“Frances has driven significant reform with skill, humility, and integrity. She brings a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to complex challenges and always works to ensure we strive for organisational excellence,” Mr Brien said.
“Her work has not only improved how the City operates, but it’s also helped rebuild trust with our community - particularly through clearer, more transparent reporting on our key projects and everyday achievements.”
“This award is a testament to Frances’ leadership and commitment to best practice in local government. We are fortunate to have her on our team,” he said.
Frances said she was honoured to receive the award.
“I’m grateful for the recognition, but more than anything, I’m proud of the work we’ve been able to do together as a team at the City,” she said.
“Governance is more than policies and procedures; it’s about creating a workplace where people feel safe, respected, and empowered to do their best work. That’s what I’ve always aimed to support.”
Frances also contributes her time and expertise to the broader community as President of Goldfields Child Care Centre and as a member of the Local Government Professionals WA Governance Committee.
This latest recognition adds to a growing list of achievements for City staff, following three awards received in last year’s WALGA Honours Program.
Pictured: Director Frances Liston at the WALGA Local Government Awards celebration event
Back to All News