New award to recognise our top Aussie

Australia Day celebrations at Warwick this year.

THE Southern Downs is set to have a brand new Australia Day award.
The award, for an overall Southern Downs Citizen of the Year, is part of a raft of changes made to the Australia Day civic events and ceremonies at the Southern Downs Council General Meeting this week.
Arrangements for Australia Day civic events and the Australia Day Award ceremonies have been streamlined with the council adopting a new policy, according to Mayor Tracy Dobie.
She said the new Australia Day and Awards Policy outlines the process for the administration of Australia Day civic events and associated awards ceremonies.
“The new policy offers clarification around the civic events and awards process and highlighted a new award category,” Cr Dobie said.
“The council acknowledges that there have been various arrangements in place for Australia Day celebrations across the region, of which the award ceremonies are a significant and important component.
“The new policy confirms clearly that two Australia Day civic events will be held in the region; one in the north and one in the south, and the venues will be determined by the council on an annual basis.
“These civic events will incorporate the official Australia Day Award ceremonies, and there will be a new process for nomination and assessment.
“And particularly exciting, is the addition of a new award category, the ‘Southern Downs Citizen of the Year’.
“Councillors will determine the winner of this award from the list of regional winners for the year, and we’ll hold a special separate event to present this award,” she said.
The mayor acknowledged that many smaller communities across the Southern Downs also hold their own Australia Day celebrations.
“It is wonderful that year after year so many groups and volunteers bring their own Australia Day celebrations alive in their communities.
“The council commends these efforts and encourages these communities to continue their own celebrations.
“And, while these community events aren’t deemed to be the official civic events that the council co-ordinates and funds, community groups will have opportunities to apply for funding for their own celebrations through the council’s community funding programs, which will open for applications in the not too distant future,” Cr Dobie said.
The new Australia Day Awards process includes more detail about nominations, eligibility criteria, section criteria and timeframes. Nominations will be invited in September and will close in November, with a report on the outcome of the assessment panel to be submitted to the council’s December general meeting.
For more information about Australia Day events and awards and the community funding programs, visit the council’s website www.sdrc.qld.gov.au