It doesn't get any better than East Gippsland to welcome in winter!
The past fortnight has been packed full of highlights that celebrate the best of our community.
I'll start with the Rising Strong forum on the Friday before the long weekend, which marked five years since the Black Summer fires. We had community representatives, agencies and organisations come together to reflect on our shared recovery - celebrating progress, acknowledging challenges, and shaping a more resilient future together.
As Mayor during the 2019-20 fires, it was fantastic to see - five years on - so many people come together who have played such a big part in our shared recovery. We know recovery is long and complex, but our communities have shown remarkable strength and unity in the years since the fires.
By bringing people together, we continue to empower communities to make more informed decisions as we all work together to build a stronger, more resilient East Gippsland.
The night before in Melbourne, we were recognised for our leadership in emergency preparedness, taking out the 'Disaster Readiness and Recovery' category at the LGPro Awards for Excellence. Our project, Strengthening Disaster Readiness and Resilience East Gippsland, was developed in response to the 2019-20 fires and is delivering long-term benefits by embedding community leadership in emergency planning and resilience.
The award is great recognition for our staff and the many people we work with across our shire to better prepare for disaster.
Also on the awards front, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville and Marlo are finalists in the 2025 Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards. Voting is open until Friday 27 June, so let's get behind three of our great tourism towns.
We were fortunate to have a visit from the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC last week.
The Governor-General shared her love of libraries during a visit to the Bairnsdale Library, and stopped in at the Gippsland Research Farm, Bairnsdale Secondary College and the Keeping Place.
Our civic reception for the Governor-General coincided with Thank a First Responders Day last Wednesday (pictured below). We welcomed first responders from across the shire to the Bairnsdale Fire Station for a breakfast and it was a great opportunity to not only hear from the Governor-General but pause and say "thanks" to our community members and their families who put the needs of others first in times of emergency.
On Thursday we held one of our four citizenship ceremonies for the year. In our largest ceremony for some time, the room was full of excitement from family and friends as I had the privilege of officially welcoming 36 people as new citizens. Citizenship ceremonies are one of the most memorable parts of being Mayor. It's a life-changing moment for the new citizens, some newcomers to the region, and others who have called East Gippsland home for many years. The common bond we all share is that we have chosen to call this great part of the world home.
On the sporting front, we officially marked the completion of recreation reserve lighting projects at Lindenow South and Wy Yung. Our WORLD Sporting Complex netball courts and pavilion were buzzing on Sunday for the Netball Victoria Association Championships, featuring 500 players and in total about 1,000 supporters, volunteers and officials.
There were some tired young netballers on Sunday night, but what an opportunity for our local players to put their skills on display against the best from Gippsland on their home courts. To the band of volunteers, thank you for helping create an environment where some great memories were made.
It's events such as these that are now possible because of the investment we've made in this facility.
A shout out to the Bairnsdale Football Netball Club for its Big Freeze event on the long weekend. More than $162,000 was raised - the most anywhere in the country outside the major event at the MCG. We wouldn't expect anything less from East Gippsland!
As a community, we now turn our attention to the East Gippsland Winter Festival, a highlight of the year. The program is full of opportunities across the length and breadth of our great shire, and I encourage you to support it where you can.
Enjoy the season - and everything that makes East Gippsland great.
