Celebrating our community champions: 2023 Australia Day Awards

Our community’s greatest advocates were recognised this week at the 2023 Australia Day Awards Ceremony held at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.

Alan Pottie was named our city’s 2023 Citizen of the Year. Alan is the driving force behind Wagga Wagga’s Relay for Life, an annual community challenge raising vital funds for those affected by cancer.

Alan donates his time to Cancer Connect, a Cancer Council support service. Alan has been named a Global Hero of Hope by the Cancer Council, a title only held by 36 people in the world. Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Maimuna Zaman. Maimuna is an active volunteer in many Wagga Wagga organisations and community groups, including Ronald McDonald Charity House, Wagga Wagga Rotary Book Fair, the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, and her local karate club where she teaches children karate.

A highly respected member of the local sporting community, Henri Moreels took home the Ted Ryder Sports Memorial Award. Henri has served as a Wagga Wagga soccer player, referee, and administrator for more than 60 years, in addition to contributing to Wagga Wagga basketball for over 30 years.

A passionate and committed coach, Henri has dedicated his time across both sports to promote and encourage more junior referees in the Wagga Wagga community and encourages a culture of good sports and fair play.

Environmental Citizen of the Year was awarded to local community organisation ErinEarth. Through ErinEarth, cofounders Carmel Wallis and Kaye Bryan are working towards a sustainable society. In 2023, ErinEarth celebrates a significant milestone, the Silver Jubilee of its establishment, which resulted in the transformation of an asphalt tennis court and area of waste ground into a tranquil garden and home for many species of animals and plants native to the Riverina.

Carmel and Kaye have provided inspiring leadership through their ongoing commitment and development of ErinEarth for the benefit of the entire community.

Both Aunty Isabel Reid and Aunty Kath Withers will be inducted in the 2023 Walk of Honour.

Aunty Isabel is a widely respected Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri Elder. Through her advocacy work she has had a positive impact on the Stolen Generation survivors receiving redress and inspires all First Nations people by conducting herself with Yindyamarra. Aunty Isabel has forged connections with business, Council, and organisations that are still prominent today.

Aunty Isabel has devoted her entire life to advocating for the local Wiradjuri/ Wiradyuri and First Nations community. She has achieved this through her work with Council’s Cultural Protocols, and Council’s first Reconciliation Action Plan including the installation of the Sorry Rock at Wollundry Lagoon.

Aunty Kath is a highly esteemed Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri Elder who has devoted her life to supporting student education, families in crisis, and her First Nations community. Aunty Kath has served as a carer for more than 100 children over several decades.

A nationally displayed and renowned award-winning artist, Aunty Kath’s creative practice includes print making, burning, weaving, and painting, often referencing her childhood growing up in ‘Tin Town’ and the Marrambidya Wetland on Wagga Wagga’s Murrumbidgee River.

Congratulations and thank you to all our award winners and nominees.

Changed traffic conditions as more road works get underway

Motorists are advised there will be road works on several key distributor roads across the city over the next few weeks as Wagga Wagga City Council ramps up its program of rehabilitation works.

Upgrade works are set to start on Mitchell Road, Copland Street, and Old Narrandera Road on Monday 30 January, with Lloyd Road to commence on Monday 6 February, weather permitting.

It comes as the works to renew and improve the pavement on a 2.4-kilometre stretch of Inglewood Road, immediately east of Mitchell Road, near completion. Weather permitting, contractors will seal this stretch of road at the start of next week.

Director Infrastructure Services Warren Faulkner said Mitchell Road, between Inglewood and Brunskill roads (pictured above), was one of the routes identified as being in need of repair and renewal in the Wagga Wagga Roads report, tabled at the Ordinary Council meeting in November last year.

“This project will include widening the road shoulders, stabilising the existing pavement, then overlaying it with a new 150mm thick base course and two-coat sealing of the new base work material,” Mr Faulkner said.

Contractors will commence rehabilitation works on a stretch of Copland Street, between Blaxland Road and Tasman Road on Monday.

The initial phase will involve stabilisation of the pavement and resealing of the road. It will be followed in mid-February with building resilience into the wearing surface at the intersections with Lawson Street, Hartog Place and Say Street with an asphalt overlay.

The pavement upgrade and sealing of the five-kilometre section of unsealed road on Old Narrandera Road near Council’s boundary with the Narrandera Shire Council will also start on Monday.

There will be changed traffic conditions on Lloyd Road next week, as Council crews increase the depth of pavement over the main culvert approximately halfway along the road, ahead of the start of the main rehabilitation project from Monday 6 February.

For information visit wagga.nsw.gov. au/roadclosures

The Friends of the Library Book Sale is back – don’t miss your chance to bag a bargain. Sale items will include donated and retired books, DVDs and more.

All funds raised from the two-day sale will go to the Friends of the Library who support programs and services at the Wagga Wagga City Library for the benefit of all community members.

The book sale will be held on Friday 10 February from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday 11 February from 9am to 12 noon, in the downstairs children’s area of the library located in the Civic Centre. Friends of the Library are hoping to see the community rally around one of the library’s long-running and cherished events.

For more information, visit waggalibrary.com.au/whats-on

algae alert for Lake Albert

An alert for blue-green algae in Lake Albert was issued this week, with Council advising the community to avoid contact with lake water.

Similar to past summers, a combination of warm weather, high humidity, and an influx of nutrients from the catchment have resulted in an increase in bluegreen algae blooms.

Relieving Manager Environment and Regulatory Services Sharomi Dayanand said while the blooms are in high numbers, water from Lake Albert is unsuitable for all uses, including drinking and recreational use.

“We’re advising everyone in the community to avoid coming into contact with water from the lake, and this includes your pets; dogs are especially susceptible to these toxins,” Ms Dayanand said.

SPECIAL MOMENT: Three-yearold Margarette Sapong receives her Australian Citizenship certificate from Mayor Cr Dallas Tout during the Australia Day ceremony.

Vacancies

Community Engagement Officer

$3,001.30 gpf + super

Closing: Sunday 5 February 2023

Environmental Project Officer

$3,363.92 gpf + super

Closing: Monday 6 February 2023

Project Controls and Reporting Manager

$3,681.74 gpf + super

Closing: Monday 6 February 2023

Administration Officer (Cemetery)

$2,507.80 gpf +

An adorable grin and soulful eyes, combined with a laid-back attitude!

‘Butterbean’ is a gorgeous four-yearold female Staghound, and would become a very loyal companion to her new family.

You can adopt this golden girl (ImpD22/0660) for $355, which includes de-sexing, vaccination, worming, microchipping, a heartworm test, lifetime registration and an ID tag.

“Particular care should be taken where algae can be seen, or where the water has a strong odour.”

Blue-green algae can appear as specking, suspended clumps or as algal scums which take the form of green or yellow discoloured slicks on the water surface.

Wagga Wagga City Council is a member of the Murrumbidgee Regional Algal Coordinating Committee and is following the protocols contained in the Murrumbidgee Regional Algal Contingency Plan.

Signs have been put up by Council advising people to stay out of the water, with Ms Dayanand saying Council will continue to monitor the situation.

“We appreciate everyone staying out of the water and we’ll notify the community as soon as the readings are at an acceptable level.”

For more information about Lake Albert, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/ lakealbert

From a new Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations opening concert to a free barbecue breakfast and citizenship ceremony, our community came together this week to mark Australia Day 2023.

‘Mawang ngiyanhi bala Yarruwala –Together we are Strong and Mighty’ on Tuesday evening (24 January) marked the start of Wagga Wagga’s multi-day community events.

It attracted a strong gathering of people of all ages and cultural backgrounds to the Victory Memorial Gardens for the community concert, featuring Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations artists and performers. The event was organised by Wollundry Dreaming, in partnership with the Australia Day 2023 Community Committee, supported by Council.

The cultural diversity of our community was also at the heart of the celebrations at the Victory Memorial Gardens on Australia Day itself, with the free community breakfast and live entertainment well-supported.

More than 350 people of all ages gathered with family and friends to reflect, respect and celebrate the significant contributions that everyone makes to our community.

Rounding out the morning was the Citizenship Ceremony, conducted by Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout, where 75 people from 23 different countries became our newest Australian citizens.

“It was wonderful to see the diverse cultures represented at the ceremony, as well as the wide age range of our newest citizens, with the youngest just three years old and the oldest, 84,” Councillor Tout said.

The official ceremony concluded with the singing of the Australian National Anthem by Chloe Swaffield, Gretel McDonnell, Caitlan Hall and Milly Golland, accompanied by the Australian Army Band Kapooka.