BEING one of hundreds of councillors representing millions of constituents across Victoria, again reminds me of the countless hours many people put into volunteering.
As a councillor for Baw Baw Shire I had the pleasure of attending many Australia Day ceremonies in my shire. Unfortunately, due to a restructure of ward boundaries for the 2016 council elections, I was unable to attend some of the twelve ceremonies actioned for this celebration day.
I therefore would like to apologise to those local community functions that I could not attend. That said, my congratulations go out to the hundreds of volunteers who organise these days, and many other events and community groups and meetings.
It is at these events that I catch up with many past and present acquaintances, some of them past clients, and many of them farmers. Conversations are always interesting, and usually lead back to current farming conditions and trends.
Oddly enough, I didn’t find one person complaining about the weather this year. Baw Baw Shire have a policy to get local community groups to organise Australia Day, which includes selecting Australia Day citizens of the year, and other award recipients for their own areas.
You have to admire these community volunteers for the thankless work they do, especially as most of them are in their older years. With everyone being so busy these days, it is hard to find any of the younger generation to take over this work.
Volunteerism come in many shapes and forms. Local committees abound, arranging and organising numerous events. Others can be seen volunteering at the local CFA and community hall committees. There are countless volunteers who do meals on wheels, and just plain looking after the elderly. This also includes many family members.
Local shows are a prime example, and this time of year sees many shows take place in West and South Gippsland. Last weekend it was the Neerim and District show, which was their 100th. In one months time it is my local show at Warragul.
Baw Baw Shire’s Citizen of the Year was Les Matkovich, who runs our local 3BBR FM local radio.
All I can say is a big thank you to all of our, and other volunteers who make our communities a great place to live and enjoy.
If you haven’t thought of volunteering in the past, then please consider it into the future. your community needs you!
