Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-03 Daily Xml

Contents

Australia Day Awards

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (15:32): The Limestone Coast is home to many wonderful people who make a huge contribution to our community, and I was delighted that a number of these people have recently been acknowledged through Australia Day awards. On Australia Day morning, I had the pleasure of attending the City of Mount Gambier's Australia Day breakfast and citizenship ceremony.

With the council presenting awards to the citizen of the year, senior citizen of the year, young citizen of the year and the community event of the year, I was able to join with other members of the community in acknowledging these wonderful people and events.

There were many award nominees and I am sure the council struggled with making the final decisions. The Mount Gambier Citizen of the Year was jointly awarded to Dulcie Hoggan and the late Pamela Moulden, who sadly passed away before the award was given. Both Dulcie and Pamela campaigned for a lymphoedema compression garment subsidy after developing lymphoedema during treatment for breast cancer.

With the Lymphoedema Support Group of South Australia and the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group, they lobbied to ease the burden for cancer patients in our state. Dulcie and Pam's efforts and fierce campaigning resulted in a joint government commitment of $4½ million to boost existing schemes to subsidise the garments. Ian Moulden, Pam's husband of 48 years, received the award on behalf of his late wife and spoke eloquently about what the award meant to him and to their family.

Alan Warden was awarded the Mount Gambier Senior Citizen of the Year. Alan has been a scout leader in Mount Gambier and Millicent for 34 years and is a role model and mentor to thousands of young people in our local communities. Before he retired as a boilermaker, Alan would take unpaid leave from work to attend Scouting jamborees all over Australia. He also organises Scout participation in the ANZAC Day street march and assists in annual events such as the Christmas parade, Generations in Jazz and the Fringe. He also helps out on the gate at the Borderline Speedway.

The Young Citizen of the Year Award went to Faith Monger. Faith is only 19 and is involved in a number of community groups and causes. She donated 40 centimetres of her hair to the Hair with Heart program and is involved with the Australian Red Cross, the Mil Lel Tennis Club and the Rotary Club of Mount Gambier West. She received an Order of Australia SA Branch Student Citizenship Award and was the recipient of the Service Clubs Association of South Australia Allan Sloan Young Citizen Community Service Award. She is also part of the Mount Gambier City Concert Band, the Limestone Coast Symphony Orchestra and has been involved in musical productions as a performer, sound engineer and musical score conductor.

Recycled Runway was awarded the Community Event of the Year. This is a fantastic event that started in 2013 during environment month to highlight the issue of textile waste, which is one of the largest contributors to landfill. Since then, the event has grown and is now one of the biggest social events of the year in the local calendar, educating people about the importance of sustainability and raising funds for ac.care and the Uplift Project. In 2020, the committee of volunteers who run the annual event—which includes dedicated Trudy-Anne Doyle, who I have known for many years—managed to host a COVID-safe Recycled Runway, which raised more than $7,000.

I was also delighted to attend the Australia Day awards of the District Council of Grant, which acknowledges outstanding citizens within our local community. Port MacDonnell resident Jeremy Levins was named the 2021 Citizen of the Year. He is a talented artist who has been involved with a range of community projects, causes and organisations over the years, particularly those focused on youth, the environment and mental health.

The Young Citizen of the Year is 24-year-old Libby Altorfer of Allendale East, who has been an active member of the Country Fire Service since joining as a cadet nine years ago and has recently joined the Port MacDonnell SA Ambulance Service. The Bay Escape was selected as the Community Event of the Year, with around 4,500 people descending on Port MacDonnell to enjoy the volunteer-run street festival.

Finally, the Kingsley and Mount Gambier District CFS groups were acknowledged with the new Active Citizenship Award. The group covers the entire district of the Grant council area and is the primary emergency service for fire, vehicle accident and other emergencies locally. It is made up entirely of volunteers, with over 300 active personnel available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My Port MacDonnell neighbours Grant Fensom and Wade Chant were among those who were honoured through this group award. I congratulate all those award nominees and winners across our community and I thank them for their hard work and dedication.