Local hero nominated

Lake Cargelligo’s Lana Masterson has been nominated in the NSW Local Hero category for the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards.

Lana, who runs the innovative youth program Down The Track, is one of four state nominees for the award. The NSW award recipients will be announced on Monday 9 November 2020.

The NSW award recipients will then join the other state and territory recipients as national finalists for the national awards announcement on 25 January 2021.

Lana, who is known as being humble and tenacious, said she was excited to have made it to the top four in the state for the award.

“The other nominees are very impressive, I’m stoked to have got this far!” she said.

Down The Track targets the region’s most marginalised young people, mainly aged between 10 and 20. More than 90 per cent are Indigenous and all live in the drought-ravaged, under-resourced region and face family violence, suicide, unemployment, homelessness and poor mental health.

Almost single-handedly and with compassion, dedication and care, Lana has united police, teachers, politicians, businesses and Elders to keep kids alive, out of jail and thriving.

There are four categories in the Australia Day Awards – Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year (those aged 65 years and over), Young Australian of the Year (ages 16 to 30) and Australia’s Local Hero.

You can follow the awards on: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianoftheYear/