Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to talk about an exceptional group of people and organisations that I honoured on Australia Day as part of the 18th annual Holt Australia Day awards. Thirty-eight individuals and six local organisations were recognised for their contribution to the community at the Cranbourne Community Theatre on a rather sultry Australia Day. This wouldn't have been possible without the incredible Holt Australia Day Awards Committee, which comprises Leanne Petridis, Jodie Hollis, Chris Drysdale and Rohimi Barielli, who I want to thank for assisting us with picking these worthy award recipients.

This year we recognised individuals like Suzanna Klaster, for her 31 years of service to Casey Radio, and Harley Meddings, for his tremendous volunteer work at the Cranbourne information support centre—or Community Information & Support Cranbourne, as it's known now. We recognised organisations like the Bakhtar Community Organisation, for supporting Afghan Australians in the city of Casey during the pandemic and assisting the settlement of newly arrived Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban.

The exceptional people and organisations that were awarded the Holt Australia Day Award this year were: Mr Ali Rahimi, Amorelle Blom, Andrew Pinxt, Barry Freeman, Beven Elankumaran, Carolyn Carr, Charitha Dissanayake, Damien Ablett, Graeme Phipps, Harley Meddings, Jesse Anderson, Jim Wright, Jo Ann Fitzgerald, John Broughton, Dr Kim Son Vu, Kimbarlie O'Reilly, Kimben Lim, Les Rand, Lisa Tuthill, Lloma Shaw, Margaret Lenders, Maureen Fowler, Nia McMartin, Nicole Treffers, Niroshi Rodrigo, Paul Garrett, Peter Hanson, Polly Freeman, Rev. Ric Holland, Robert Adams, Robert Ward, Sara Jafari, Shinnee Kapea, Suzanna Klaster, Dr Tarekegn Chimdi, Tim Burgess, Wayne Smith and Yaneth Orellana. The organisations were Aged Care Reform Now, Bakhtar Community Organisation, Hampton Park Tennis Club, Multicultural Youth Support Service, Monash Health, for the COVID-19 pandemic response, and Sikh Sewaks Australia (SSA).

I have read these names into the parliamentary record. They're the names of people and organisations that have done exceptional work in their time. In their own quiet Australian way—by their actions and their deeds, their sense of community, their sense of hope and the inspiration and direction they provide to others—they improve Australia, they improve their community and they improve the environment in which they live. And they do it in an Australian way. They do it not to seek the limelight, not wanting to go out there for the awards and honours, but because they want to make their community a better place. In my view, what better day to celebrate that than on Australia Day? I was honoured to award these people the Holt Australia Day awards.