Excitement builds for local Australia Day awards

With nominations closing this week, the excitement is building for this year's Sunshine Coast Australia Day Awards -- including who will be the Senior and Young Citizens of the Year.

This week is your last chance to nominate an outstanding Sunshine Coast resident or business for council's 2010 Australia Day Awards, with nominations closing on Friday 8 January.

The winners will be announced by Mayor Bob Abbot at a special sunset ceremony on Mooloolaba Beach on 25 January.

Judges are gearing up for the difficult judging process, when they will assess nominations from the following categories:
*    Senior Citizen of the Year
*    Young Citizen of the Year
*    Community Award
*    Creative Award
*    Economic Award
*    Environment Award
*    Sport and Recreation Award

Council will also support established local community awards by coordinating the joint promotion of community award programs and their winners on Australia Day.

Mayor Bob Abbot said local government and community awards programs were an important way of showing appreciation for locals who go that extra mile.

Nominations for the council awards are open to anyone living on the Sunshine Coast whose efforts have been outstanding and to businesses that are environmentally-responsible contributors to the local economy.

Nomination forms are available from council's website www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or by phoning council on 5475 7272. They can also be picked up from council's customer service centres, libraries, Sunshine Coast University and TAFE.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council Australia Day Awards