Jason Named Citizen Of The Year

2016 Australia Day Awards — Mayor Wayne Kratzmann presents the 2016 South Burnett Citizen Of The Year award to Jason Black

January 26, 2016

Jason Black, the man who started ute musters at South Burnett agricultural shows and grew them to become an integral part of the region’s show circuit, was named the South Burnett’s Citizen Of The Year on Monday night.

Mayor Wayne Kratzmann presented Jason with the award in front of a capacity crowd at the annual South Burnett Australia Day Awards ceremony, which this year was held at the Proston Community Hall.

The audience heard that Jason is considered a great role model for younger residents.

He has owned his own contracting business since the age of 16, and has been involved in many community groups including the Nanango Show Society – of which he is a life member – and the Hodgeleigh-Kunioon Rural Fire Brigade.

He joined the Nanango Show Society when he was eight years old, took a role on the Show Society’s management committee at the age of 17 and has served as Rural Ambassador for Nanango and the South Burnett.

During the course of his long involvement with the Show Society, Jason started the Ute Musters which have grown to become an important part of many shows in the region, as well as the Boots’n Bulldust South Burnett Ute Muster Championship, which brought competitors from across the country to the South Burnett.

Jason has also been running the Sub-Chamber and Brisbane Ekka Ute Musters for the past five years.

He assisted John Calvert to set up the very successful Nanango Country Music Muster held each September in Nanango.

He has also run the Nanango cattle sales, has been pivotal in organizing the Nanango Markets, and has shown dairy cattle all of his life.

Apart from the Nanango Show Society, Jason is a member of the Kingaroy Show Society, lending a hand to help it ensure each year’s show goes off without a hitch.

He has been a member of the Hodgleigh Kunioon Rural Fire Brigade for many years as well, and has assisted with many fires, accidents, floods and storm damage with his trucks and tractors.

Through this work, Jason has built up a close working relationship with local police and the South Burnett Regional Council, who often call on his expertise and equipment in emergency situations, such as removing round bales from the highway during the 2013 floods.

In addition to this, he’s been involved with a number of other community groups such as Boots’n Bulldust, the Winds Of Change Art Gallery and the Stags Rugby League Football Club.

Jason manages to balance these extensive community contributions while supporting his family, and running the family farm and his contracting business.

“For a young man of just 30 years, Jason is very well respected,” Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said.

“And with his commitment to the South Burnett, Show Societies and farming, I think we can look forward to the future with great confidence.”

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Other 2016 South Burnett Citizen Of The Year nominees were:

Geoffrey Rea

Geoff was the winner of the 2016 Proston-Hivesville Local Achiever Award. He is involved in the Hivesville Markets, Proston Men’s Shed, Proston Show Society and Proston Golden Spurs Campdraft, and also volunteers as a radio announcer on 1071 4SB.
Oriel Black

Oriel Black volunteers for several Murgon organisations, including the Queensland Dairy and Heritage Museum where she has been serving for the last 15 years.

She has been the Museum’s official Providor since 2007, helping to organise catering for the Museum’s events, in particular the annual American Student Ambassador Program. Since this commenced in 1999 approximately 15,000 students have all been provided meals prepared by Oriel and the museum volunteers.

Oriel is also an active member of the Lutheran Church Guild and volunteers with Meals on Wheels, the Blue Care Thrift Shop, the Murgon Visitor Information Centre, Murgon Pulse and the Murgon Show Society Canteen.
Kristy Frahm

Kristy is one of co-originators of the Baked Relief drought relief program for the South Burnett; the current treasurer of the Hivesville Abbeywood Rural Fire Brigade; and is heavily involved in the Proston Play Group and Proston State School P&C. She is also a board member of St Mary’s Catholic College, and created the Proston Connection Facebook page to promote the Proston area.
Glenda McArdle

Glenda McArdle has been Secretary of the Proston Show Society Secretary for seven years, and a delegate since 2008. She is also a member of the South Burnett Sub-Chamber Agricultural Society and takes an active role in organising Proston’s annual Christmas Carnival. She is also President of the Proston Over 50’s group and the SES Support Fundraising Committee, and prior to its closure was coordinator of Proston’s Meals on Wheels service for three years.
Roy Radunz

Roy was President and Secretary of the South Burnett Race club for a combined period of 50 years, as is now the Race Club’s patron. He was also a respected stock and station agent for over 30 years, offering his knowledge of cattle and marketing advice to people across the South Burnett. Now retired, he continues to volunteer for many local functions including the Wondai Garden Expo, and is an active member of Wondai’s Neighbourhood Watch Committee.