A member of your radio audience may be the person who nominates the next Australian of the Year.

The nominations phase of the “new-format” Australian of the Year Awards for 2003 was launched by Prime Minister John Howard this week at Northbridge Primary School in NSW.

Picture(L to R):
Lt-Gen Peter Cosgrove, Ian Kiernan, PM John Howard, Scott Hocknull, Simone Young, Lisa Curry.

Mr Howard, and others urged all Australians to think about who they believed may fit the role of Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year, and Senior Australian of the Year for 2003, and to formally nominate someone.

To ensure that more Australians are aware of how to nominate someone and that their nomination is important, Radiowise has produced a series of CSAs featuring current Australian of The Year Pat Rafter, Senior Australian Of The Year Professor Graeme Clark, as well as Scott Hocknull and Lisa Curry. These are available free to all stations for broadcast between now and September 23rd 2002, which is the closing date for nominations.

While all media have given strong support to recent Australia Day activities Lisa Curry paid tribute to the powerful role played by the Radio Industry. “Radio seems to have a special place in our lives”, Ms Curry said, “It reaches people on a very personal level, which is why it’s so good at building enthusiasm at a local level. It’s that local support that keeps events such as the Australian of the Year Awards and Australia Day relevant to the nation as a whole”.

This year, to help make the Awards more accessible to more Australians, a new Award – LOCAL HEROES – has been launched to recognise the outstanding and tireless work done in local communities by people who are sometimes overlooked. There will be state and territory winners, followed later by the announcement of a national Local Hero.

Joint CEO Peter Saxon said “Australia Day has been growing in stature in much the same way as interest in ANZAC Day has been rekindled over the past decade. Radio has played an important role in that. Both these days are vital definitions of our national identity. With the revamped National Australia Day Committee under Lisa’s chairmanship, the next Australia Day will be one in which every station should participate.”

If your station has not received the order form from Radiowise, then call Toni Maxwell on (02) 9438 4000 or email [email protected]

Web Link: For more information on Australia Day and the Australian of the Year Awards, visit www.australianoftheyear.gov.au