THE Macksville Ex-Services Club played host to the 2023 Nambucca Valley Council National Celebration Day Awards Ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 25 January.

A large crowd attended the ceremony where so many wonderful locals were honoured for the volunteer work they do for their community.

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Before the awards were presented the gathering heard from a reflective Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, as she approaches the end of her time as a State MP, the Nambucca Valley Mayor, Rhonda Hoban OAM and the Nambucca Valley’s Australia Day Ambassador, MS Susie Elelman AM.

MS Elelman AM, a high profile media identity, fascinated the audience with her speech that covered her parents’ escape from the Nazis during the Second World War and their incredible resilience in building a new life and thriving in Australia despite prejudice and setbacks.

This year the award for the Nambucca Valley Citizen of the Year went to Mr Dave Banks.

The list of what Dave Banks does for his community is immense and includes being the Rotary Youth Director, being a founding member and chair of the Nambucca River Users Group and many years as a Scout and Venturer Leader.

Dave has been a chairman of the Nambucca Valley Tourism Association and has been a key figure in the development of the new Bowraville Sports Hub.

There are many other areas of volunteer work Dave Banks does that makes him a fitting recipient of this honour.
The Nambucca Valley Senior Citizen of the Year went to Mr Ken Johnson.

Although Ken’s health has slowed him down a little in recent years he can reflect on a life of community involvement that includes years with both the Lions and Rotary Clubs, a firefighter and a distinguished football career playing over 300 first grade games with the Nambucca Roosters.

This year’s Young Citizen of the Year is Daniel Williams and he certainly drew the largest gasp from the audience when it was announced that he is the fastest under sixteen-year-old runner in the world.

Daniel is credited with one of the greatest distance performances in Australian junior athletics history, becoming the first fifteen-year-old to run sub -3:50 in the 1500m and took a truly astonishing four seconds off the previous Australian record set in 1986.

The Young Indigenous Citizen of the Year is Wurinda Gill.

Wurinda has proven to be an outstanding role model in the community for young Indigenous people and inspiring to our community as a whole.

At age 20, Wurinda is active in her community as a member of the Ballangarry, Buchanan and Walker families, Wayapa practitioner and as the project officer trainee for Mujaay Ganma Foundation, where she has been working and promoting the Yuraal Community Garden project as health promotion in her community and as a connection point for the Nambucca Valley to country.

Other award winners on the night were:

Services to the Community – Bruce Graham, Trevor Ledger, Harry Morton, Veena Tilly, Sandra Goodby, Narelle Wilson, Vicli Wassens, Robin Bohringer, Anne Pade, Lyndel Sutton and Dianne Wall.

Services to the Community as an Organisation – Nambucca Valley Cycle Club, and The Bowraville Uniting Church Op Shop.

Environmental Award – Fay Lawson.

Good Neighbour Award – Elizabeth and Lloyd Irvine, Judy and Frank Wesley and Reigan Nugent.

Junior Sportsperson Female – Lexie Brown.

Junior Sportsperson Male – Aidan Laird.

Senior Sportsperson – Declan Sutton.

Junior Sports Team – The Macksville High School 15 Years 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay Team of Leah Pickvane, Millie Edwards, Maya Lamb and Isabella Winslow.

By Mick BIRTLES