January 11, 2024
South Burnett Regional Council’s 2024 Australia Day Awards winners will be announced at a ceremony at Kumbia Hall on Sunday, January 21.
The event will be compered by former Nanango councillor Rod Morgan, with special guest Elijah Buol OAM.
Mr Buol, who arrived in Australia as an unaccompanied minor from South Sudan in 2002, is the South Burnett’s 2024 Australia Day Ambassador.
The awards will run from noon to 3:00pm and will be followed by afternoon tea.
Acting Mayor Gavin Jones congratulated all the nominees.
“All those nominated for an Australia Day Award have showcased their community spirit and demonstrated the true resilience that is the heart of our rural communities,” Acting Mayor Jones said.
“These awards provide an opportunity for the community to acknowledge and reward outstanding groups and individuals committed to improving our region.”
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Australia Day Ambassadors are assigned to attend more than 300 community celebrations nationwide every Australia Day.
The Ambassadors are past recipients of Australian of the Year awards, sportspeople, scientists, businesspeople, actors and community workers who provide inspiration and pride to Australia Day events and activities.
The South Burnett’s 2024 Ambassador, Elijah Buol OAM, is the managing director of Smart Answers Consulting and a member of the State Government’s Responsible Gambling Advisory Committee.
He was a director of the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, vice-president of the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland and is a member of several government and not-for-profit boards and advisory committees.
Mr Buol was named among Logan City’s 40 Powerful and Influential People of 2021 by the Courier-Mail newspaper and among Logan City’s 10 most powerful and influential people of 2019.
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his service to the African community of Queensland, and was the 2019 Queensland Local Hero of the Year.
