Nominations Now Open for the 2025 Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards

The Ballina Shire is once again celebrating the remarkable individuals and groups who make a positive impact on the community through the 2025 Australia Day Awards. These awards shine a light on the extraordinary work of ordinary people, ranging from community volunteers to trailblazing professionals, who contribute selfessly to improving the Shire.

Mayor Sharon Cadwallader highlighted the importance of recognizing these unsung heroes, stating, “We want to celebrate the individuals and groups who make a remarkable impact on our shire. But most importantly, we want to thank them for all that they do.” The selection process for the awards considers both recent achievements and the nominee’s ongoing contributions to the community.

New Categories and Updates

The 2025 Ballina Shire Awards introduces a new category, Local Hero, which will honour individuals making an impact in their felds through innovation or community service. Additionally, the Young Citizen of the Year age limit has been lowered to under 25, and Senior Citizen of the Year nominees must be over 65, changes made to better refect the Shire’s diverse demographics.

Award Categories:

• Local Hero (open age)

• Young Citizen (under 25 years)

• Senior Citizen (over 65 years)

• Volunteer of the Year (open age)

• Sports Achievement (individual, team, coach, or administrator)

• Arts and Culture (individual or group)

• Environmental Award (individual or group)

• Community Event of the Year (event held during 2024)

The prestigious Ballina Shire Citizen of the Year will be selected from nominees across all categories.

How to Nominate:

Nominations are now open and can be submitted until Monday, 4 November 2024. To nominate a deserving individual or group, visit the Ballina Shire Council website at ballina.nsw. gov.au/2025Awards.

Stay tuned for updates on the 2025 Australia Day Awards ceremony, where the exceptional contributions of Ballina’s community members will be recognized and celebrated.