Page 1171 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 May 2006
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education and youth development, emergency and safety, environment and wildlife, health and wellbeing, and tourism/sport and recreation.
Awards are available at both state and national level. The ACT has a proud history of success in these awards, with awardees at both state and national level over a number of years. There are too many past ACT winners to name all here, but organisations include the Apex Club in Tuggeranong, the Belwest Foxes soccer club, the Red Hill Regenerators, the Australian Federal Police volunteers in policing program, the CSIRO entomology program, Mental Illness Education ACT, Heart Support Australia—ACT Branch and of course the Rivers Volunteer Bushfire and Emergency Services Brigade who won the national award in 2003.
Last year’s Canberra winners included the RSCPA, Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, which won for the second time, Indigenous Community Volunteers and the National Folk Festival. Yesterday in the adjournment debate Dr Foskey mentioned the wonderful success of that particular program. I join her in recognising the wonderful program because I know that that program was developed in consultation with Volunteering ACT some numbers of years ago, as was the volunteers in policing program which was developed from the ground up in partnership with Volunteering ACT. It is held up as a fine example of such a program across Australia.
This year NAB is introducing merit awards for the top 10 nominations received in each category, allowing more of these wonderful organisations to be recognised. We did the preliminary judging of our particular states and territories and sometimes one other state. For many years I sat on those judging panels. I must say that it was very hard for me to make a decision about who should be the first four in a category that I should refer to the final independent judging panel.
Organisations, which are awarded in categories, will receive a cash prize and may use the money for a particular, identified project. They will be given an opportunity to celebrate during local ceremonies held in their honour. As you can imagine, both the opportunity to celebrate their programs and to receive a cash prize are extremely beneficial to these organisations. I encourage all members to think about organisations that they know about that would possibly meet the criteria listed in this nomination form, obtain the form and encourage organisations to start working on their applications now as this will enable many worthy organisations to meet the 28 June deadline.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 6.22 pm.
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