JANUARY 26, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Making new home better
(Shawn Smits)
Nyakeer Akoul is dedicated to eradicating discrimination and providing a voice for people marginalised in her community. The 18-year-old’s hard work was recognised last week with a Brimbank council young citizen of the year award. Despite tackling her final year of secondary school at Catholic Regional College in Sydenham last year, Nyakeer found time to attend community meetings almost daily for groups such as Brimbank’s youth events committee, the Western Young People Independent Network and Young Women’s Youth Leadership Group. At an awards ceremony at Overnewton Castle last week, Nyakeer, who migrated to Australia in 2004, was described as a role model for South Sudanese migrants. Nyakeer, who plans to study youth work at RMIT this year, was blown away by the award. “It was absolutely fantastic. I was really nervous on the night but also excited,” she said. More winners : Page 7
Top spot for new citizens Brimbank will welcome more new citizens at today’s Australia Day service at Sunshine than any other municipality in the state. And more than a third of the state’s 183 new citizens with a Vietnamese background will now call Brimbank home. At the council’s citizenship ceremony at the Kevin Wheelahan Gardens, 220 new residents from 38 different countries will be sworn in. Star Weekly understands Brimbank is usually in the top bracket statewide for new Australians
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Almost half of Brimbank residents were born - John Watson overseas
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each year, but it’s the first time in recent years it’s taken the top spot. Most new Australians set to read the oath in Brimbank come from Vietnam (63), India (40) and the Philippines (17).
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Former Victorian premier John Brumby will be ambassador at this year’s Brimbank ceremony, while federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will also attend. Chairman of administrators John Watson said this year’s swearing-in ceremony would be another huge event, after more than 200 people took the oath last year at Sunshine. “Council has such a fantastic morning planned, which will culminate with the largest Australia Day citizenship ceremony in Victoria,” he said. “Brimbank is a proud, multicultural city. Almost half our residents
were born overseas and many more are firstgeneration Australians whose parents settled here.” Victorian Multicultural Commission chairman Stefan Romaniw said the figures reflected Brimbank’s diversity. “We’re not surprised by the numbers and we’re happy to see so many people in that region wanting to become Australians,” he said. The 8am-noon ceremony will offer free coffee and a community barbecue, a performance from the Sunshine Community Brass Band and roving ‘Aussie Bush Explorer’ puppets.
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