Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Each year on Australia Day the Maroondah and Whitehorse City Councils in the Deakin electorate take the opportunity, at their Australia Day citizenship ceremonies, to recognise the efforts of so many hardworking and dedicated volunteers and organisations for the work they have done in our community over the past year. It is always a great honour for me to be at these ceremonies to pay tribute to the work these people do and to show our appreciation to their calibre and the dedication they have for our community.

In Maroondah, the Citizen of the Year award went to Ian Ware, whilst Ashley Cooke was named Young Citizen of the Year. Both were selected out of a very large and impressive field of nominees and make very worthy recipients. The award for the community event of the year went to the Rotary Club of Ringwood for their 2015 Maroondah Schools Anzac Service, which attracted more than 700 students from 40 schools around the electorate. At the City of Whitehorse, Anne Payne was named Citizen of the Year, whilst the Young Citizenship award went to Thanushi Peiris. And Dr Hugh Wirth AM, from the RSPCA, received an outstanding community leadership award. Further Community Achievement Awards went to Dilnaz Billimoria, Graeme Elder, Patricia Fincham, Anne Makhijani and Neville Moulden. I want to pay tribute to the outstanding work they do on behalf of our community.