A new revamped format for the 2025 Citizen of the Year Awards on Australia Day aims to reflect the inclusive community spirit of the Southern Downs by unifying the awards into one collaborative event that will rotate annually across the region as endorsed at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 18 September 2024.
The council also voted at the meeting to remove geographical divisions and recognise that the Southern Downs is all one region.
Furthermore, the Junior Cultural Citizen of the Year Award has been added to the list, bringing the cultural awards in line with the sports awards which have separate junior and adult categories.
Nominations will open at the end of September for the following:
Citizen of the Year Award
Junior Citizen of the Year Award
Sportsperson or Sports Administrator of the Year Award
Junior Sportsperson of the Year
Cultural Citizen of the Year Award
Junior Cultural Citizen of the Year Award
Community Event of the Year Award
Southern Downs Councillor Morwenna Harslett strongly supported the changes and said the new format ensures that different regional areas have the opportunity to host the event to foster a sense of unity and shared celebration.
“The Citizen of the Year Awards on Australia Day recognise the remarkable achievements and outstanding service of individuals who have significantly contributed to the Southern Downs community,” Cr Harslett said.
“The awards not only celebrate these worthy recipients but also foster immense community spirit, bringing people together in a shared celebration of regional pride.
“By investing efforts into one consolidated event and rotating the venue across the region each year, both the major towns and the smaller villages will get the opportunity to host, celebrate and showcase their unique locality on this special day.
“Of course, community-organised events such as cricket matches, BBQs, pool parties, wood chops, billy boils and any other imaginable celebration are encouraged to bring communities together. The revamped format means there’ll only be one official awards ceremony for the whole of the Southern Downs.
“So please, join us in celebrating the region’s citizens of the year on Australia Day and the spirit of unity it brings to our region.”
In addition, council encourages expressions of interest for the Citizen of the Year Awards selection panel, with Southern Downs Mayor Melissa Hamilton saying that evaluating nominations should be done collaboratively between council and the community.
“Responding to community feedback from prior years, council has voted to give the community a greater say in the selection of award recipients by including three community members on the awards panel,” she said.
“These important awards recognise outstanding individuals from our community, and it should be our community, not just council, who decide who will be honoured each year.”
Nominations for the awards will open at the end of September and close on Sunday 1 December 2025.
