Minister’s Planning Awards 2025

We are committed to shaping Queensland’s future — and that means investing in tomorrow’s planners by giving them an opportunity to put their skills, knowledge, and ideas to practice in real-life scenarios.

The Minister’s Planning Awards give planning students the opportunity to submit applications to demonstrate innovative and practical approaches to real-world planning challenges — with winners receiving not only an award, but a paid internship

Categories

The 2025 categories for the Minister’s Planning Awards include:

  • The Innovative Regional Planning Solution Award invites students to come up with an innovate idea or approach to specifically address a contemporary planning challenge faced in a regional, rural or remote setting.

    University students are invited to devise (individually or in teams of up to three students) a solution to address a regionally based planning problem or challenge of their choosing. Their submissions will outline the planning issue and their proposed solution

    Up to six submissions would then be shortlisted and invited to give a 10-minute presentation to summarise the problem and proposed solution to a judging panel of Planning Group executive officers, including the State Planner, who will decide the winning team or individual student, as well as up to two highly commended submissions.

    The Awards are open to all students from eligible universities if they meet the criteria. Entry is via self-nomination.

  • With a focus on South East Queensland (SEQ), the Innovative South East Queensland Planning Solution Award invites students to come up with an innovate idea or approach to specifically address a contemporary planning challenge faced in SEQ.

    University students are invited to devise (individually or in teams of up to three students) a solution to address a SEQ based planning problem or challenge of their choosing. Their submissions will outline the planning issue and their proposed solution.

    Up to six submissions would then be shortlisted and invited to give a 10-minute presentation to summarise the problem and proposed solution to a judging panel of Planning Group executive officers, including the State Planner, who will decide the winning team or individual student, as well as up to two highly commended submissions.

    The Awards are open to all students from eligible universities if they meet the criteria. Entry is via self-nomination.

  • The Young Trailblazer in Planning Award will be presented to one university undergraduate (second, third or fourth year) recognised as being a student who has demonstrated exceptional promise, vision and creativity in the field of planning.

    This award is intended to acknowledge a young professional not only for their professional achievements but also their potential to shape the future of planning.

    Entry is via university nomination only.

Frequently asked questions

  • Submissions must be received by 5 pm Friday 3 October 2025.

  • To enter, please complete the online nomination form and submit the required documentation.

    If you are Young Trailblazer in Planning Award, you will need to ensure that you attach a signed copy of the submission acknowledgement form ( 154.9 KB), when you complete the submission form.

  • Prizes include:

    • A four-week paid internship with Queensland's planning department, providing a valuable opportunity to apply your studies in a real-life context and understand Queensland's planning framework.

    The internships give you an opportunity to see first-hand how Queensland’s planning framework drives economic growth and delivers well-planned, sustainable and resilient communities. There is a variety of work to be involved in including regional and state planning, development assessment, statutory planning, and policy development.

  • If you are unable to upload your submission via the online form please email  learn-planning@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au to discuss other arrangements.

  • The Minister's Planning Awards will be presented at the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Queensland Awards for Planning Excellence on 7 November 2025.

  • Yes. The awards are now open to all undergraduate, post-graduate and masters students.

  • As long as international students are attending an eligible university and have an appropriate visa that entitles them to work in Australia, they can apply for the Queensland Government’s Planning Awards.

Contact us

For more information, please email learn-planning@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au.

Last updated: 04 Sep 2025