The inaugural Moira Shire Awards ceremony held on Thursday, April 20 at the Cobram Civic Centre has been labelled a huge success.
More than 150 guests attended the event, celebrating the shining stars of the Moira Shire who have demonstrated outstanding service to the community.
A council spokesperson said Moira Shire Council inaugurated the awards as it believed that residents should be celebrated for what they gave to the community.
“Council strives to recognise these amazing people who go above and beyond and always give back to their communities,” the spokesperson said.
“Over the years Moira has recognised these individuals and groups/projects in various formats, but what better way than to recognise them through an inclusive awards evening with others within the community by showcasing the nominees who shine bright in our communities.”
Winners of the night are as follows:
Philip Ross-Soden from Strathmerton won Star Achiever of the Year — Someone who has demonstrated excellence in the community, made significant contribution in various categories and is able to represent Moira as the ‘Star’ achiever.
Emily Davies from Cobram won Young Star Achiever of the Year — An individual up to 16 years of age, who has made a voluntary contribution to their community or schools.
Emily Ford from Tungamah won Shining Star Achiever of the Year — An individual between the age of 16 and 24 who has made a voluntary contribution to their community or schools.
Eden Farm Multicultural Festival Numurkah — 2022 and Cobram Barooga Business and Tourism, which ran the 2022 Tri State Games, won Community Star Achiever of the Year — An award for the most outstanding organisation or event during 2022-23.
Cobram Secondary College won ACEStar Achiever of the Year — This award is given for the most outstanding arts, culture, and/or environment project during 2022-23. Cobram Secondary College won the award for its Pedal Empowerment Program.
The program saw students collect and refurbish old bikes so they could provide low-cost transportation while ensuring a low environmental footprint.
Council acting chief executive Josh Lewis said the evening was a fantastic night and said winners and nominees all deserved to be recognised for their service to the community.
“These people are selfless contributors to our towns; they don’t do it for nights like these, but it is important we recognise them,” Mr Lewis said.
Independent Administrator John Tanner said the awards marked a new page in council’s relationship with the community.
“Part of the role of rebuilding and resetting the council here is to ensure that we’ve got good community representation, and we build that resilience in the community. This particular evening is part of that.”