(Photo: SBRC)
October 8, 2015
The nomination deadline for the region’s 2016 Australia Day Awards may be extended after an earlier than usual closing date prompted concern at this week’s Council meeting.
Communities Portfolio chair Cr Ros Heit told fellow Councillors nominations for the 2016 Awards opened on September 27 and will close on October 31.
She said some of this year’s Awards categories had also been changed to give the region’s communities an equal opportunity to nominate people or groups who had made special contributions.
Cr Barry Green said he agreed with the category changes, but not the earlier than usual closing date.
“I know one group in my division that has been very busy this month nominating local businesses for the Business Excellence Awards, and now they’ll have to turn around and do the same for the Australia Day Awards,” Cr Green said.
“I think this is just too much, and some people may miss out because of this short time scale.”
Cr Heit said the reason for closing the nomination period earlier than usual was because the festive season break posed difficulties for staff organising the Awards night.
It was hoped that having a bit more lead time in a normal work period might help.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said he could see Cr Heit’s point, but thought Cr Green had a fair point too.
“We’ll look at this (later) today,” he said.
“Maybe we can extend the closing date to the second or third week of November. Most nominations come in during the last few days anyway.”
Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell agreed.
“I’d be happy to see the closing date extended, but not to the end of November,” he said.
“The second or third week of November sounds better.”
The 2016 Australia Day Awards will be presented at Proston Town Hall on the eve of Australia Day, January 25.
Categories for the 2016 Awards are:
- Citizen Of The Year
- Young Citizen Of The Year
- Junior Cultural Award
- Senior Cultural Award
- Junior Sports Award
- Senior Sports Award
- Sports Administrator, Coach or Official
- Community Organisation Of The Year
- Volunteer Of The Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Local Achiever Awards
Full details and nomination forms can be obtained on the South Burnett Regional Council’s website.
UPDATE October 9: South Burnett Regional Council has extended the deadline for nominations for the 2016 South Burnett Australia Day Awards to the close of business on November 16.
