Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to congratulate some of the Australia Day award winners in my electorate. I would like to start with the Clarence Valley Australia Day award nominees and winners. The winners were: Citizen of the Year, Leone Roberts; Young Citizen of the Year, Brendan Wren; Community Achievement, Grafton Jacaranda Committee, which consisted of Trevor Green, Helen Weatherstone, Helen Templeton, Steve Cansdell. Peg James, Scott Baker, Donna Hunt, Kristin Smith and Kelle Murphy; Community Achievement, Lower Clarence Scottish Association, which was led by Peter Smith; and Local Hero, Marea Buist from Yamba. We had a great night at the Yamba Golf Club to announce those award winners, and I congratulate them all.

I would also like to acknowledge the Lismore Australia Day award winners. Jodie McRae—who has raised an enormous amount of money for cancer equipment for people suffering from cancer in our community and is an inspiration in what she does—won the Citizen of the Year award. Thelma James won the Aboriginal Citizen of the Year award. Holley Somerville-Knott won the Young Citizen of the Year award. Ross McDougall won the Services to the Community award. Amber Gooley took out the award for Arts and Cultural. LightnUp Inc, which is led by Jillie Jackson, won the Services in the Community award. And congratulations to Keea Parrish, who won the Junior Sportsperson award.

I would like to thank and congratulate the Richmond Valley Australia Day award winners. The Citizen of the Year was a dead heat and was won by Stuart George and John Wright. Young Citizen of the Year was Macarthur Amey; Volunteer of the Year was Kevin Mason; Young Volunteer of the Year was Aidan Yourell; Sportsperson of the Year was netballer Deidre Coe; and    Young Sportsperson of the Year went to all-rounder Jack Denson. Congratulations to all of you.

I would like to congratulate all the Ballina Australia Day Award winners, who live in the new boundaries of Page. Senior Citizen of the Year was Harold 'Bernie' Scanlan from Alstonville; the Young Citizen of the Year was Jasmine Crethar; Community Event of the Year went to Ina Le Bas and the committee for Alstonville's 150th birthday celebrations last year, which were fantastic; the    Sports Award went to Riki Wood and Marc Bagatan; and the Arts Cultural Award went to Jamaika Smith.

I would also like to acknowledge the Australia Day award winners in the Coffs Harbour LGA, who are moving into the Page electorate. Helen Mitchener, from Emerald Beach, won the Coffs Harbour Citizen of the Year award, and Lindy Davis, from Lowanna, won the Sue Hunter Memorial Award. Congratulations to both of them.