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Australia Day Awards ceremony at Nowa Nowa Recreation Reserve on 22 January

East Gippsland's Australia Day Awards ceremony will be held on Saturday 22 January at Nowa Nowa Recreation Reserve from 10.30am.

By news@gippsland - 10th January 2022 - Back to News

The Australia Day Awards ceremony will include a free community barbecue brunch provided by the Twin Rivers Lions Club, live entertainment from the Nowa Nowa Men's Choir, flag raising by the Bairnsdale Scouts and keynote address from Australia Day Ambassador, Mr Paul Wheelton AM.

Council presents shire-wide Australia Day Awards which focus on individuals and events that have made a significant contribution to the region to show appreciation to the individuals and groups

Increased nominations

There were 33 nominations received - an increase on 2021 - and all vying for the honour of winning the 2022 Australia Day Award for Citizen, Young Citizen, or Community Event of the Year. Mr Wheelton is a successful businessman, philanthropist, and Order of Australia Medal recipient (2009) for services to a range of children's charities.

Australia Day Awards ambassador

As well as being the patron of several charities, Mr Wheelton is a board member of the:

• Life Education Foundation
• Blue Ribbon Day Community Board
• Order of Australia Association National Board
• Pancare Foundation
• Box Hill Hawks Football Club

Mr Wheelton is a founding board member and chairman of the Bali Children Foundation which, with his family via Wheelton Philanthropy, has helped to rebuild several Children's Homes (orphanages)and provides an educational pathway for disadvantaged Balinese children.

Acknowledging the the local people

Mr Wheelton said, "It is a great honour to be selected as East Gippsland's Australia Day Awards ambassador. These awards are a true reflection of the community spirit and acknowledge the local people that go above and beyond for their community,"

"I am looking forward to sharing in the Australia Day Awards ceremony and to learning more about the fantastic people who contribute to the East Gippsland community." Mr Wheelton said.

Appreciating the nominees

‍Mayor, Cr Mark Reeves said having such a community-minded person like Mr Wheelton visit as an ambassador adds another layer of depth, enthusiasm, and inspiration to an important community celebration. "We look forward to hearing from Mr Wheelton about his experiences and life passions," Cr Reeves said.

Cr Reeves said there was an air of excitement around this year's awards following many high-quality nominations. "I congratulate everyone who has been nominated for an Australia Day Award. The dedication to their communities is truly remarkable and everyone's efforts are deserving of being recognised."

"I also thank those people who took the time to nominate a person or an event. This year's nominations have significantly increased, which is a fantastic result." Cr Reeves said.

Australia Day Awards and events

After last year's successful awards event in Sarsfield, Council has chosen Nowa Nowa to host the 2022 celebration - a first for the awards. "We look forward to joining with the Nowa Nowa and broader East Gippsland community as we reflect, respect and celebrate our great community," Cr Reeves said.

The Australia Day Awards are supported by the National Australia Day Council and the Australia Day Victoria ambassador program. This is a family friendly event which community members are invited to attend. To reserve a free ticket, visit 2022 East Gippsland Shire Council Australia Day Awards booking page. Australia Day events are taking place across the shire on Wednesday, January 26. Visit East Gippsland Shire Australia Day Awards to find an event near you.

‍Pictures from East Gippsland Shire Council Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com