Last week I had the privilege of honouring the recipients of the 2018 Port Macquarie-Hastings Australia Day Awards.

A big congratulations and thank you to all nominees for making an extraordinary contribution toward shaping the future of our thriving region. You should be very proud of your achievements, and all you do for the benefit of others.

On Australia Day I was also fortunate to join many of our community who came together to celebrate what it means to be Australian.

From an Aussie breakfast, boat parades and fantastic live music, it was such a great day of events, capped off with the welcoming of 24 new Australian citizens who will now call the Port Macquarie-Hastings home.

This was my first Australia Day as mayor, and I can honestly say I continue to be amazed by the sense of belonging and incredible community spirit that exists right across our region.

To view the list of Australia Day Award recipients visit pmhc.nsw.gov.au/australiaday

Delivering for our growing community 

In 2018, the development of strong relationships with local community groups, businesses and all levels of government will remain a high priority for council.

We’ve already hit the ground running with these partnerships, resulting in some great projects being funded that would have otherwise been difficult to achieve.

In partnership with the NSW government, council will invest more than $150,000 to rejuvenate Lake Cathie, removing excess sand and fixing erosion at the popular foreshore feserve.

Boaties will benefit from upgrades to two popular boat ramps in the Camden Haven, and a new clubhouse at Oxley Oval in Port Macquarie is on the horizon ensuring it remains one of our region’s premier sporting facilities.

When your council and all levels of government work together and we listen to our community, great things happen.