Australia Day awards
David HODGETT (Croydon) (09:42): I rise today to congratulate the recipients of the Maroondah City Council Australia Day awards for 2023. It was a pleasure to be in attendance to celebrate those making a difference for our community. Dennis Johnston was awarded Citizen of the Year for his hard work and contribution to Biala Ringwood. Jackson Smith and Alyssa Solidaga both received Young Citizen of the Year. The Chin National Day festival was awarded Community Event of the Year. This terrific event, which celebrated the 74th Chin National Day, attracted 4000 members of the community. This event was held outdoors in Main Street, Croydon, in February last year and was a day to celebrate identity, culture and Chin traditions. It was a colourful, fun and vibrant day, which would not have been as successful without the support of the Croydon Main Street crew, who were instrumental in the success of the day. I look forward to the same event on 18 March 2023. Congratulations to all the Australia Day award nominees and recipients, and thank you for the positive impact your hard work delivers for our community.