January may seem a long way off, but the weeks and months are flying by and it is time to start thinking of who to put forward for the 2024 Australia Day Awards.

Nominations are now open across the four Fleurieu councils. 

Awards for Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, and Active Citizenship are presented annually to local citizens and community organisation who have made outstanding contributions to the South Australian community.

The awards are provided by the Australia Day Council of South Australia and administered by Local Government Authorities throughout the state on behalf of councils.

Citizen of the Year is presented to someone making an extraordinary contribution to the community and may recognise outstanding service over a number of years. 

Young Citizen of the Year is presented to a young emerging leader who makes a difference in their community. To be eligible, the person must be aged over 16 years and under 30 years of age.

Community Event of the Year is presented to the person or group who has staged the most outstanding event for their community. 

Awards for Active Citizenship are presented to a person or group delivering outstanding work on an event or project for the community during the past calendar year. 

Onkaparinga Council also makes awards for Little Hero of the Year and Sportsperson of the Year.

To be eligible for an award, the nominated person must be an Australian Citizen, except for the Awards for Active Citizenship.

Details about award criteria can be accessed through the Australia Day Council of South Australia website.  https://citizenoftheyear.com.au

Nominations are assessed by Australia Day Awards Committees, established by each council as advisory groups that make recommendations to councils  on award winners.

Presentations of awards are usually made at Australia Day events on 26 January.

Nominations close on 17 November. To make a nomination go to the website of the relevant council – Alexandrina; Onkaparinga; Victor Harbor; and Yankalilla.