Poor response to Australia Day awards

By Shaun Inguanzo
RATEPAYERS will fork out $40,000 for Australia Day celebrations in Greater Dandenong, despite displaying apathy towards Australia Day Awards.
The council has dropped its Volunteer of the Year category from Australia Day, received no nominations for Young Citizen of the Year, and just eight nominations in total spanning Citizen of the Year and Non-Resident of the Year.
City of Greater Dandenong Council community services director June Dugina defended the council in light of the poor response.
“It is difficult to pinpoint any one reason behind the low number of nominations received,” Ms Dugina said.
“This is only the second year the council has managed the Australia Day Awards process, which was previously facilitated by a community committee.
“I understand the Australia Day awards have traditionally generated a low volume of nominations in Greater Dandenong.”
Ms Dugina said the council made community groups aware of the awards nominations through mail outs.
“Council direct-mailed more than 300 community groups throughout the city and advertised widely to encourage nominations for the 2008 awards,” she said.
“The low level of nominations received may be a reflection of the community’s value of the process.”
Meanwhile, Ms Dugina said the Volunteer of the Year Award would fall during Volunteer Week later this year.
Ms Dugina said if groups had wished, they could have recognised significant volunteer contributions by nominating people for Citizen of the Year.
“During Volunteer Week individual organisations recognise their volunteers and this recognition can flow through to Citizen of the Year nominations.”