Passionate and selfless achievers honoured on Australia Day
26 January 2017
Paralympian Bill Chaffey named Citizen of the Year
A diverse range of passionate and proud community achievers have been honoured at the 2016 Tweed Shire Australia Day Awards as part of the main celebration and citizenship ceremony at Twin Towns at Tweed Heads.
Fifty new Australian citizens were welcomed to the Tweed from 16 countries while media identity and humanitarian Iain Finlay delivered the Tweed Australia Day Ambassador’s address.
Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Katie Milne, said the awards honour some of the many selfless achievers in the community.
“Our award recipients demonstrate there is much to be proud of here in the Tweed,” she said.
“We are lucky to have these outstanding citizens in our Shire but I know there are many more quiet achievers out there giving their heart and soul to the community and environmental causes - you know who you are.
“On behalf of Council I would like to congratulate and thank every one of you for contributing so much to this Shire.
“There are 50 very excited people from 16 different countries who will become new Australian citizens today, I'm sure they will embraced by the community and be made to feel very welcome.
“I also acknowledge this can be a day of mixed emotions for the Aboriginal community and my thoughts are with you.”
The Tweed’s highest honour, Citizen of the Year, was awarded to Paralympic triathlete Bill Chaffey from Bilambil Heights.
In 2016, a decade on from an accident that left him an incomplete paraplegic, he had the honour of representing Australia at the Rio Paralympics where his did the Tweed proud, finishing in fourth place.
Kingscliff Business Chamber President and Salt Surf Life Saving Club stalwart Mark Humphries, and long-serving Murwillumbah VIEW club president Shirley Kuhnell, shared the Volunteer of the Year honour.
There were also joint winners in the Sporting Achievement category with Kingscliff’s Paralympic swimmer Kate Wilson and Olympic swimmer Matt Abood sharing the award.
Twelve-year-old Lindisfarne Anglican School student Sam Smith was named Young Achiever in Community Service for his efforts in raising almost $8,000 for Tweed charity Kids In Need.
The Tweed Shire’s Community Event of the Year award was shared between the Kingscliff Lions Club 2016 District convention, the Kids In Need Association Dragon Boat Day, and the Tumbulgum 150 year celebrations.
The ‘Tweed Battle of the Bands’ was named winner of the Arts and Cultural Achievement award.
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Photo 1(JPG, 101KB)
Caption: Tweed Shire’s Citizen of the Year 2016 is Paralympian triathlete Bill Chaffey of Bilambil Heights, pictured with Tweed Shire Australia Day Ambassador, Iain Finlay and Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Katie Milne
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Caption: Tweed Shire’s Young Achiever in Community Service Award is Lindisfarne Anglican School student Sam Smith, 12. He is pictured with Councillor Reece Byrnes, Tweed Shire Australia Day Ambassador Iain Finlay and Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Katie Milne