Nominations are open until 30 November, so if you have a friend, work mate, family member or community group that is making a valuable contribution to our community, the awards are an ideal opportunity to celebrate their work.

It is those who work behind the scenes, often with little praise or thanks, that are our true community heroes and our past Australians of the year are continuing to do wonderful work within our community.

Categories for the 2018 awards are Young Citizen of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Senior Citizen of the Year and Community Group of Year, and award recipients will be announced at a special ceremony on the evening before Australia Day on 26 January 2018.

We’d love to see as many nominations as possible, and encourage everyone to visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/australiaday to nominate your local hero today.

Helping our future sports stars

The 19th Annual Mayor’s Sporting Fund Golf Day tees off in November, so now is the time to dust off the golf clubs, practice your swing and register your team.

This afternoon of fun is open to all, from beginners to golfing regulars and is a great opportunity for businesses and individuals to enjoy a social day on the greens at the beautiful Port Macquarie Golf Club.

Money raised will contribute to helping our local up and coming sporting stars achieve their dreams, with the Mayor’s Sporting Fund distributing more than $300,000 to young local athletes since it began.

The golf day will tee off on Friday 24 November with a BBQ from 12 noon, followed by a 9-hole ambrose event. Great prizes will be on offer as well as a raffle, 100 Club and other fundraising activities.

It’s going to be great fun for a great cause, so why not register your team of three at pmhc.nsw.gov.au/sportingfundgolfday.