Residents are encouraged to give the unsung heroes in the community the recognition they deserve, by nominating them for an Australia Day award.

Nominations are now open in four categories:

Citizen of the Year;Young Citizen of the Year;Volunteer of the Year; andCommunity Organisation of the Year.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the awards were a highlight of the new year.

“I’m always honoured to present the Australia Day awards, as they are tangible evidence of how passionate and dedicated our community is,” he said.

“Each award shines a spotlight on someone, or organisation, who may have never asked for, or been given, praise for the work they do, but who are most deserving of it.

“Please take the time to nominate a person, or group, who has made an impact in our community and, together, we can make sure they don’t go unrecognised.” Recreation Sports and Aquatics Club (RSAC) President, Bob Beer, said being the recipient of the Organisation of the Year award in 2019 meant a lot to all members.

“We were delighted to be recognised for the services we provide the community, particularly people with disability,” he said.

“Everyone was very happy and I think it made our members feel appreciated and motivated.

“If you believe an organisation has delivered great service or commitment to the local community, you should definitely think about nominating them.” RSAC has run sports, performance and social programs for residents with disability, their carers and family, for more than 30 years. It aims to improve inclusion and quality of life, and this year took its members on a trip to Italy and Greece. Nomination forms for the Australia Day awards will be available soon at:

cb.city/australiadayawards; Council’s Bankstown and Campsie Customer Service Centres; and Council’s nine Library and Knowledge Centres.

Nominations close Monday 2 December.