October 23, 2024
South Burnett Online has taken out third place in a prestigious Queensland regional journalism awards competition.
The results were announced on Tuesday night before the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference dinner in Brisbane.
The LGAQ established the Bean Lockyer Ticehurst Award for Excellence in Regional Journalism to honour ABC cameraman John Bean, journalist Paul Lockyer and pilot Gary Ticehurst who died in a helicopter crash while on assignment in 2011.
The $10,000 first place award went to Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail journalist Michael Madigan for his coverage of the energy transition in regional Queensland.
“His work on issues raised at the LGAQ’s Bush Councils convention on renewables and reporting Isaac Regional Council’s campaign to save the town of Glenden showed the seriousness of the energy transition in regional Queensland,” LGAQ chief executive officer Alison Smith said.
The $3000 second place award recognised Carli Willis and Jennifer Enosa from NITV/SBS and the Torres Strait Islanders Media Alliance for their work revealing serious weaknesses on Australia’s northern border.
South Burnett Online’s Anne Miller and the late Dafyd Martindale were awarded the $2000 third prize.
“South Burnett Online is a small regional operation that does a big job keeping its community informed of everything happening in their backyard,” Ms Smith said.
“It covers everything from local arts and events to the crime, council and local impact of State political debate.”
Editor Anne Miller said SBO was proud and humbled to have received the award.
“We’re sad, though, that Dafyd wasn’t around to see his project get recognised for all his hard work over the past 24 years,” she said.
This year’s award was split into a first, second and third place to allow the LGAQ to recognise the work of more journalists.
“The Bean Lockyer Ticehurst Award has drawn a pleasing 20 high quality entries reaching to the very borders of our state – Torres Strait in the north, Goondiwindi in the south and from the east to the west and from media organisations of all sizes,” Ms Smith said.
“Judging criteria includes newsworthiness, incisiveness, public benefit and impact on the understanding of the issues and challenges facing regional Queensland.”
Congratulations Anne on this award and your service to the South Burnett community, for your news and sports reporting online quickly and accurately. For that we all thank you, from myself and the whole South Burnett Rugby League family.
Congratulations – well deserved. Love your work.
Sincere congratulations to you & to Dafyd. The work the two of you have put in to ensure our district & beyond has been kept informed, shows your unwavering dedication.
The following quote by LGAQ chief executive officer, Alison Smith from your article above sums up your outstanding contribution to our community. We owe you a great debt of gratitude: “Judging criteria includes newsworthiness, incisiveness, public benefit and impact on the understanding of the issues and challenges facing regional Queensland.” Many thanks, Steph
Congratulations, Anne, well deserved. Your unbiased reporting and Dafyd’s editorials were what made it so easy to keep up with the local scene wherever I was in Australia. I hope that you can continue without him, as hard at that will be.
Well deserved, Anne. Years of work providing the region with accurate news. Essential to the local community.
Anne and Dafyd. What well deserved recognition for the hours and hours you have invested in keeping the local community accurately informed on every aspect of the goings-on in their community. When you think you were placed third against the “big guns” (which have the huge backing and resources required to deliver specialised information to their readers eg the Courier Mail and NITV/SBS), you are definitely batting above the average. Your dedication to delivering a quality service is admirable. Reading SBO is one of the first sites I read every morning because I know I will be informed about things that matter to the local community.
Thank you everyone for your kind words!
Congratulations to a team like no other. We were so lucky to have you both and it is so wonderful to see your hard work and dedication rewarded. Thank you Anne, for continuing to bring us news, without pay walls or agenda. Well done.
Congratulations Anne and a posthumous thank you to the dedicated and talented Dafyd. You are so deserving of all the accolades. Do hope you can continue with your wonderful work. Thank you, Julie.
Absolutely wonderful! This is the only place I come to for local news, and the courage which Anne has shown to *keep it going* is remarkable. Good on you, brave girl!