Australia Day Nominations

Please submit completed forms and documentation by:

• Delivering to:
  Australia Day Awards
  Carpentaria Shire Council
  33 Haig Street
  Normanton QLD 4890
   
• Mailing to:
  Australia Day Awards
  Carpentaria Shire Council
  PO Box 31
  Normanton QLD 4890
   
• Emailing to:
  Australia Day Awards
  australiadayawards@carpentaria.qld.gov.au
   
• Completing online form (please see below)

Please contact Carpentaria Shire Council on (07) 4745 2200 for further information.

• Wednesday 15th January 2025 Nominations Close.
• Sunday 26th January 2025 Australia Day Awards Presentation and Celebrations
  
  * Please note that nominations will be open year-round and can be submitted electronically through Council’s website, or in hard copy form via email, post or hand delivery. Hard copy forms are also available on Council’s Website.

Carpentaria Shire Council is collecting the personal information you supply on this form for the purpose of processing your entry for the 2025 Australia Day Awards. Your personal details will not be disclosed to any other person or agency external to Council without your consent unless required or authorised by law.

Please read carefully and in full before submitting your application.

• Citizen of the Year
  • Must be 28 years of age or over as at 26 January 2025.
  • Someone that has contributed to the community in a beneficial way, on a voluntary basis, and not within the person’s paid work or job commitments.
  • The winner of this award will become the Carpentaria Shire Ambassador until 26th of January 2026.
     
• Young Citizen of the Year
  • Must be aged under 27 years old as at 26 January 2025.
  • Someone that has contributed to the community in a beneficial way, on a voluntary basis, and not within the person’s paid work or job commitments.
     
• Volunteer/s of the Year*
  • The aim of this award is to acknowledge exceptional and noteworthy contributions made to the community through volunteering.
  • All sports or community organisations will be considered.

• Senior Sports Person*
  • Must be 18 years or over as at January 26 2025.
  • The aim of this award to recognise outstanding and noteworthy record of achievement in sports.
  • Residents who attend or have attended Boarding School or other further education outside of the Carpentaria Shire are still eligible.
    
     
• Junior Sports Person* **
  • Must be under 18 years of age as at January 26 2025.
  • The aim of this award to recognise outstanding and noteworthy record of achievement in sports.
  •  Residents who attend or have attended Boarding School or other further education outside of the Carpentaria Shire are still eligible.
     

* Junior Sports Person, Senior Sportsperson and Administrators (if sport related), in the Carpentaria Shire will be nominated by the Australia Day Council Committee in the North Queensland Sports Foundation 2025 Sports Star Awards.

** Junior Sports Person of the Year winner will be nominated by Council for the North Queensland Sports Development Bursaries in 2025.
 

• Community Event/Organisation/Committee of the Year
  • This award is given in recognition of hosting an event in 2024, that made a significant contribution or exceptional achievement in Carpentaria Shire excluding Council run events.
     
• Arts/Cultural Award
  • This award is to recognise individuals/organisations that have produced, promoted, or taught in arts and culture. Examples can include painting, music, photography, cultural awareness, sculptures.
  • This award is open to individuals of any age as well as organisations.
     
• The Mayor’s Award
  • This award is to acknowledge the quiet achievers of Carpentaria Shire. They will have shown ambition, self-motivation, and dedication by pursuing different opportunities for themselves and/or others in the community.
  • This award will be judged by the Mayor only

• Nominees MUST be a resident of the Carpentaria Shire.
• Nominations may be submitted by groups (for example, committees, associations, schools, so on) or individuals, with or without the knowledge of the persons being nominated.
• The nature of the Citizen Awards places emphasis on what the person has/had done for the community in their various fields of involvement, rather than:
  • recognising personal achievements and/or ambitions (except where the personal achievement has brought recognition to the Carpentaria community and has engendered community pride); or
  • what they may have done as part of the normal duties in their occupation (except where the nominee's achievements are above and beyond what is expected in an individual's normal duties).

• Awards will not be granted posthumously.
• Self-nominations of individuals will not be accepted.
• Nominees must comply with terms and conditions of each category.
• If nominees are nominated in the wrong category, nominators will be notified.

• Australia Day awards will be considered by a committee. The committee will consist of the Mayor, six Councilors and elected community members from both Normanton and Karumba
• The committee may determine that no nominee is suitable for an award in a category.
• The committee reserves the right to transfer nominees to other categories based on appropriateness.
• The decision of the committee will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• The judging of candidates will be based on the information provided in the nomination.
• The Committee may choose to contact referees listed in this nomination form for further information. 

The selection panel will also consider the following in assesssing and comparing nominations against the above criteria:

• Personal, academic, sporting, and professional achievements awards and recognition.
• Contribution to the relevant field (how has the nominee ‘put back’ into their field to benefit others).
• Demonstrated leadership, innovation, and creativity.
• Future goals and likely impact.
• Nature of activity or service.
• Achievements as an individual or as part of a group or organisation.

“I was completely surprised that I was recognised for this award, since becoming the Senior Sports Person of the Year, I have competed in the Tolga Pentathlon & Also the Longreach District Trials. The events that I compete in are Hammer, Shotput, Javelin, Discus & a weighted item. Taking part in these events keeps me thinking about my own health and Physical ability. I really wish other people (30yrs-50yrs) would become involved as it is an eyeopener when you compete elsewhere to see mature age people having a go. It clearly shows that anyone can be an athlete, it doesn’t matter how old you are.” - Angeline Pascoe

“I was pretty happy to be recognised by members of the community for my efforts that I put in to bring sports to the towns youth. Since the awards ceremony I have still been coaching athletics and junior footy in both Karumba and Normanton but also have spread it out to include Georgetown and Mt Surprise. I'm very pleased to see our guys still training hard and watching them develop and grow achieving new bests as they further develop their training. I'm looking forward to what 2024 brings as I have some big plans later on in the year that I hope to bring to fruition.” - Jacob Daniels

"I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have been awarded Young Citizen of the Year for 2023, it was very humbling to be acknowledged by the community that I am so passionate about. I am sure most can relate to me when I say 2023 has been an extremely busy year and it has flown by, Council has asked me to talk about some of the things I have been involved with and working on during my time as our Young Citizen.

In addition to work and study, I have been a member of the Regional Community Forum’s run by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, essentially the forums are an advisory platform that gives regional members the opportunity to advocate to Government on behalf of their communities. There were a few big achievements that came from these Forums that will directly benefit our community. Firstly, a Forum was held in Normanton and Karumba in early November, it was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Directors General, Members of Parliament and community Representatives from throughout the Northwest region, this put these two towns and surrounding areas at the forefront of conversation and gave us the chance to advocate for issues affecting the area.

The biggest outcome in my opinion to come from being a member of the forums occurred this year when it was announced that the Normanton TAFE campus will be reopened in 2024, the campus will initially offer short courses before longer, more permanent courses kick off in the second half of next year. The TAFE campus has been an extremely underutilized facility which will offer so much to our community and our young people in particular, once courses recommence.

Another highlight as Young Citizen was being involved in ANZAC day. In my view ANZAC day is all about honouring those who have served and sacrificed in the defence of our countries, not just in Gallipoli but in all conflicts as well. It is a day of reflection, paying tribute to the servicemen and women who have given their lives for the freedoms and values we all enjoy today.

I have also loved attending a vast number of community events throughout the year, a huge shoutout has to go out to all of the committees and volunteers who make these events possible.

After a quick summary of what I have been up to over the past year I want to end by strongly encouraging community members to nominate anyone who they think is deserving of being the Young Citizen for 2024. I am sure the next recipient will appreciate the recognition and the opportunity given to them as I have." - Johnty O’Brien

“This year I was involved in various community activities, these included:

• Contributing to the organisation of the Karumba Easter Bunny egg drop
• Delivered a speech during the ANZAC Day ceremony
• I volunteered working at the front gate during the Normanton Rodeo
• I offered my time as a volunteer at the Normanton Pig Hunting event
• Being an active member of the Karumba Town Christmas Tree
• I assisted with the Christmas event for the town's children this year, hosted at the Karumba Sunset Tavern
• I participated in the Karumba lollie drop for Christmas by making goodies for adults and lollies for the kids
   

I feel really appreciated by the community and the Australia Day Team to have been chosen to be 2023 citizen of the year. Thank you for a lovely year, the experience has been great for me, I really feel appreciated.” - Leeanne Crossland

"It felt really good to have won the award and for my efforts to be recognised at last years awards ceremony. Since then I have still been training and competing where possible, making podium finishes at carnivals and breaking records. I was glad to again make the NQ and QLD sides again for school and club nationals in my throwing and enjoy the friendships I've made along the way." - Paul Busch