NOMINATIONS are now open for the 2023 Southern Grampians Shire Council Australia Day Awards.

Each year, the awards celebrate hard working individuals and groups and recognise their achievements across the Southern Grampians.

Southern Grampians Shire Council mayor, Cr Bruach Colliton, said the Australia Day Awards are always a highlight and a great way to begin the new year.

“We are so privileged to celebrate our Award recipients who demonstrate such a commitment to the wellbeing of our Southern Grampians community,” he said.

“By nominating your friend, family member, or a local you know for an Award, it is the perfect way to recognise the special role they have within the Southern Grampians and to celebrate their achievements.”

The Southern Grampians Shire Council 2023 Australia Day Awards include four categories:

• Young Citizen of the Year - for residents aged under 25 who have made a significant contribution to the community in the current year or over a number of years.

• Citizen of the Year - for residents over 25 who have achieved the most distinguished performance and/or made the most outstanding contribution to the Shire community in the current year or over a number of years.

• The Community Event of the Year - to the group or person who has staged the most outstanding community event, between October 30, 2021, and October 30, 2022, including single day, multiple day, and virtual events.

• Community Recognition - for an individual or group based in the Southern Grampians who has made a significant contribution to the local community in the current year or over a number of years.

Recipients of the awards will be announced at Council’s official Australia Day celebrations on January 26, 2023, with locals encouraged to begin making nominations now. 

“If someone you know deserves recognition for their contribution to our region, whether that’s for an event they organised or if they have made an outstanding effort to improve the lives of others, nominate them,” Cr Colliton said.

“We ask that you take your time with the nomination and include examples of why the nominee is a deserving recipient.

“It’s your chance to really highlight their work and shine a bright light on what makes them such an exemplary member of the Southern Grampians.”

Nominations close Friday, November 18, 2022, and can be submitted at sthgrampians.vic.gov.au using the online form.

Any questions can be sent to ausday@sthgrampians.vic.gov.au