Let’s celebrate our local seniors in 2024

By Janelle Saffin MP State Member for Lismore

MY Electorate Office reopens on Monday, 8 January and one of the first items of business will be launching the 2024 NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Awards. The awards – to be announced during the NSW Seniors Festival which runs from 11-24 March 2024 – recognise the many and varied contributions and achievements of seniors.

There are five categories:

• Business.

• Environment, Science, Agriculture.

• Health and Wellbeing.

• Lifelong Learning.

• Community Service.

If you know a senior who stands out in any of these fields and who resides within the Lismore Electorate boundaries, please nominate them. Nomination forms are available by emailing my office at lismore@ parliament.nsw.gov. au with SENIORS FESTIVAL in the subject line. A form will be emailed to you which can be filled in electronically and returned by email. Printed nomination forms are also available at the Electorate

Office’s front counter, 55 Carrington Street, Lismore NSW 2480 or call my office on 66213624 and we will post one to you.

Nominations open from 9am on Monday, 8 January 2024, and close at 5pm on Friday, 23 February 2024, to allow time for nominations to be assessed.

I will host a morning tea for our award winners during the NSW Seniors Festival in March, which happens to be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Reach Beyond! is the festival’s theme for 2024, encouraging seniors to seek out new experiences and make new friendships by participating in hundreds of free or discounted events. Festival events cover the arts, sports, music, technology and entertainment with some held in regional and rural New South Wales. For more information about the festival, visit www.seniorsfestival.nsw. gov.au

Free diary helps seniors know their rights SENIORS can still pick up the Free 2024 Legal Aid Diary from my Electorate Office at 55 Carrington Street Lismore and from libraries across the electorate.

This is a very popular diary, full of tips for seniors about navigating the law from managing financial hardship to avoiding scams and resolving neighbour disputes.

The diary is a trustworthy source of legal information about consumer rights as well as information about how to seek help if you have a complaint about a service.

It also includes health and wellbeing tips and money-saving advice.

The NSW Government is pleased to be able to provide the free seniors diary because it is a handy one-stop-shop for legal information.