Victoria swept the national landscape architect awards ceremony on Thursday night, winning more gongs than any other state.

The awards program, hosted in Adelaide by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), saw 51 projects across the nation honoured for positive impacts on various regions, towns and cities — including a whopping 13 Victorian winners.

And three of the state’s projects earned more than one gong, including the Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail Master Plan by Tract and World Trails.

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The plan, which guides the future construction of a 90km walking trail connecting communities from Fairhaven to Skenes Creek, notched the top award in the landscape planning category in addition to a regional achievement award.

Other regional achievement winners included the Lake Boort Scarred Trees Masterplan by Aspect Studios, also a winner in the tourism category, and Hassell Studio’s Wangaratta Railway Precinct that was also honoured in the civic landscape category.

The Victorian Family Violence Memorial. Picture: Peter Bennetts.

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AILA national awards jury chair Claire Martin said that the need for landscape architecture had never been greater for reasons such as accelerating adaptation, strategising for carbon and flood mitigation, increasing biodiversity and improving the health of waterways.

“Likewise, landscape architects can strengthen people’s connection with their environment and to each other, improve livelihoods and health outcomes, foster truth telling and simply bring joy to people,” Ms Martin said.

“In an emerging context of increased loss, damage, isolation, inequity and reduced insurability, the 2023 national award winners offer valuable case studies on the benefits of good design.”

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Another standout winner from Victoria was an immersive audio app named Yalinguth, the Woi-wurrung word for ‘yesterday’, that shares recollections of Gertrude St, Fitzroy, by 40 First Nations Elders whose lives have intersected with the area over the years.

In the seaside town of Wonthaggi on the Bass Coast, the Guide Park Playspace, an all-inclusive playground inspired by its surrounding coastal landscape, was also a highlight.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF VICTORIAN WINNERS:

LANDSCAPE PLANNING

Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail Master Plan – Tract and World Trails

SMALL PROJECTS

The Victorian Family Violence Memorial – Muir+Openwork

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LAND MANAGEMENT

Shoreline Drive Landscape Plan – Aspect Studios

Jacksons Creek biik wurrdha Regional Parklands – Fitzgerald Frisby Landscape Architecture

PLAY SPACES

Guide Park Playspace – Orchard Design with SBLA Studio

Picture: Copper Door Studio.

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TOURISM

Lake Boort Scarred Trees Masterplan, Aspect Studios

CIVIC LANDSCAPE

Transforming Southbank Boulevard – City Design, City of Melbourne with TCL and Mike Hewson

Transforming Southbank Boulevard – for Herald Sun RealEstate

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Wangaratta Railway Precinct Stage 01 – Hassell Studio

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Yalinguth – Yalinguth Working Group

INFRASTRUCTURE

North Williamstown Station LXRP – Hassell Studio

Reimagining Tarralla Creek – GHDWoodhead

URBAN DESIGN

South Eveleigh – Aspect Studios

Melbourne Connect, Aspect Studios

REGIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS

Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail – Tract and World Trails

Lake Boort Scarred Trees Masterplan – Aspect Studios

Wangaratta Railways Precinct Stage 01 – Hassell Studio

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