There was a very exciting 11 nominees for Community Group of the Year, 17 nominees for Senior Citizen of the Year, 2 nominees for Young Citizen of the Year and 10 nominees for Citizen of the Year - all of them extremely worthy of winning the awards.

It was a great delight to hear Wauchope's Neville Parsons named Citizen of the Year.

Neville, who was born in Yarras, began his acceptance speech in a manner well known of him - with thanks to others: to his family, colleagues, Uncle Bill and the very many people in the local area who contribute through their volunteering to making this community great.

"We are one community, but many cultures. By working together we continue to learn from each other, reaping rewards not only in the community we build now, but also in leaving a better world for our children."

He reflected on the fact that what governments did yesterday they cannot do today, and that everything done by volunteers serves to make a community better.

"The challenge we face is how to build bridges" - not only geographical, but also between people and between the three tiers of government.

"This community we call home is as much made up of people raised here as those who have chosen to come here and call it home."

"The things we do as individuals is what makes the difference. It is what we hand on."

In receiving the award, Neville is being recognised for over 25 years contribution to Wauchope and the wider Hastings community - in a variety of health, education and local initiatives, Bundaleer Nursing Home and especially Rotary, both locally and state-wide.

Neville's volunteer work - and the contribution of all local volunteers - is, in the words of Mayor Peter Besseling, what makes the difference between a "town and a community".

A town is just the place where we live. A community is what the people who live here choose make of it together.