MRC Australia Day Award Recipients

Murray River Council Mayor, Cr Chris Bilkey said the Australia Day Awards acknowledged the achievements of individuals and groups who worked so tirelessly to make our community a better place during a difficult 12 months. 

“On behalf of Council, I would like to acknowledge all the nominees and congratulate this year’s award winners who are a shining example of how we can all have a positive impact in our community, no matter the circumstances.”

“There have been lots of people who have made some lasting contributions in the community during what has been a very testing year, and it is their efforts that add to the story of Murray River Council and make it such a great place to live.”

“These awards give us a chance to reflect on the resilience of communities and the spirit of helping, giving and supporting that defines us as Australians,” Cr Bilkey said.

The 2021 recipients will be presented with their award at local Australia Day breakfasts on January 26.

Citizen of the Year: Janet Cincotta, Barham

As Citizen of the Year, Janet has been recognised for her devotion to keeping the streetscapes neat and tidy around Barham for many years!

Janet often wanders the streets, bucket and spade in hand, doing battle against the weeds that dare to grow near “her” footpath. It is so commonplace to Barham residents, that they forget just how unusual a sight this must be to visitors to the town. 

When asked why she does it, Janet said she simply likes to see the nature strips looking neat and tidy.

Janet has also tended to the maintenance of the Catholic Church gardens and in recent years has been maintaining and watering the garden under the tree in front of the Post Office. With no nearby tap, Janet has been known to bring large buckets of water in her car to water the plants!!

Over the years Council has recognised many contributions through its Australia Day Awards, and this year this award demonstrates that every little bit makes a difference and that every contribution – no matter how big or small - is valued by the local community.

With Janet’s dedication to all things gardening and the passion she has for her local town, she is an outstanding example of a senior citizen doing all she can for the betterment of the local environment. 

Not to mention she plays a mean hand of “500” at the local Senior Citizens meetings.

Young Citizen of the Year: Phoebe Scalora, Tooleybuc

Phoebe has been recognised as Young Citizen of the Year for her active involvement in local community life, and, most notably, her fantastic achievements in the Catalina Venturer Scout Unit.

Phoebe earned a Queen Scout Award in 2020 for her involvement in the group for the past thirteen years- a prestigious nod to her dedication. Phoebe will now be presented with her Queen Scout Award by the Victorian Governor at Government House.

Phoebe completed four parts of the Venturer Scout Award: Outdoor Activities, Community Involvement, Leadership Development and Personal Growth. These 4 parts involve 17 badges, which Phoebe had to complete over three years before her 18th birthday to qualify for the Queen Scout Award. 

Phoebe did the extra effort by completing her Endeavour Award which was an extension of her Environment badge work. 

The badges are aimed at enhancing a Scout’s life skills and the importance of community volunteering and participation, leadership and responsibility. 

As part of her community involvement, Phoebe has participated in Australia Day and ANZAC Parades, the local Theatre Group, Ballet Dance concerts and fundraising events.

Commitment, dedication and drive are all attributes of a valued young citizen- and Phoebe has demonstrated this in spades. 

Young Sportsperson of the Year: Shaleah Cooper, Mathoura

Shaleah has certainly accomplished outstanding success across all sporting areas throughout 2020. At just thirteen years of age, Shaleah has accumulated an impressive list of sporting achievements. Her efforts and success at Mathoura Public School’s carnivals and trials, led her to qualify to participate in multiple district, regional and state competitions. 

Shaleah commenced the school year competing in the school’s swimming carnival, where she qualified to compete in Hay at the Deniliquin PSSA Swimming Carnival. Shaleah progressed from Hay to the Riverina PSSA Swimming Carnival in Albury. In Albury, Shaleah again excelled, winning her event and qualifying to compete in the State PSSA Swimming Carnival. Shaleah was awarded a State Championship certificate. 

At the school’s Athletics Carnival, Shaleah won every field event, as well as the 100m and 200m running races, and was named the 2020 Senior Girl Athletics Age Champion. 

Shaleah represented the school in the Deniliquin and District sporting trials and qualified to compete in the regional level of competition in basketball, soccer and AFL. In Basketball, she continued to succeed and was selected to be part of the Riverina Basketball Team qualifying to take part in the state event. 

Shaleah is also a highly valued member of the Deniliquin Rovers Football Club’s Under 14’s side. Shaleah, who plays in the position of Centre Half-Back, played her season with notable finesse to the praise of many club people and AFL affiliates. Shaleah played extremely well throughout the year and polled admirably in the Best & Fairest vote count. 

Continued Page 9

From Page 8

Her impressive form on the football field drew the attention of selectors representing the Goulburn Murray Football Academy. Shaleah was invited to participate in the Goulburn Murray Football Academy training program. This program provides player development for talented footballers in our region. 

Shaleah is also a proud member of the Deniliquin & District Little Athletics Club participating in practice and trials weekly. At a recent trial, Shaleah bested four of her own personal-bests in one night. 

Shaleah also won Senior Girl Swimming Champion and Senior Girl Athletics Champion. She was presented with the 2020 Mathoura Public School Sportsperson of the Year trophy at the school’s annual End of Year Presentation ceremonies. 

Shaleah is not only a talented sportsperson but she also continually displays outstanding sportsmanship and humility. At school, she is always seen encouraging her peers, congratulating other competitors, and facilitating sport activities regularly for the younger children at recess and lunch. 

 Community Group of the Year: Murray Downs Community Garden Group

In February 2020, a group of 16 people joined together to bring to life the shared vision of creating a local community garden.  

Their aims were to provide a meaningful gathering place for residents to meet and grow vegetables for local community consumption, whilst also enhancing basic overall good health and well-being.

After receiving a grant to establish the garden, the group set to work. And now, a year down the track- the garden has exceeded all expectations! 

It has beautified the entrance to the village residential area with shrubs and plants; showcasing the pride local residents take in the area. The project also includes a space for composting to help the area cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by keeping food scraps out of landfill. Many households had previously never considered separating food scraps from their other landfill rubbish, but now have become enthusiastically involved. 

The garden project has also enticed some residents who would not normally join in community activities to come and see what is going on in their area. They are now involved and sharing their talents and ideas! 

The project has also seen some residents meet for the first time since moving to Murray Downs, with new friendships formed and old friendships rekindled. The enthusiastic approach from the community regarding the project has been demonstrated and validated through ‘in-kind’ donations totalling over $14.000. These have included goods and services, volunteer hours, donor hour value and morning teas. 

The garden provides fresh organic produce, continues to foster a sense of community, is developing a community resilience that only a ‘sense of belonging’ can achieve, and has motivated residents to think of other projects or improvements that could be taken to grow the area.

Community Event of the Year: Moulamein Gourmet Fair

The Moulamein Gourmet Fare held in September last year has been recognised for its celebration of local producers, growers and retailers.

This event was a collaboration between the Moulamein Bowling Club and the Moulamein Art Gallery and was hosted at a much-needed time in the crazy year that was 2020.  

The purpose of this event was to showcase and promote the importance of fresh seasonal produce and sustainable agribusiness in our region through a range of stalls and activities. 

Local songwriter, Ian Tully supported the event with his unique style of music and the Moulamein Art Gallery provided afternoon tea throughout the day.

The Moulamein Gourmet Fair hosted over 300 people at the event with feedback being extremely positive.  The opportunity to meet and talk to the producers, growers and retail outlets encouraged lots of discussions about production processes and provided the opportunity to purchase products to sample.

 The inspiration behind this inaugural event was to promote our region’s fantastic array of gourmet food, local businesses and unique way of life.