General News
8 September, 2026
Oz Day with a difference
CASSOWARY COAST Regional Council has finalised plans for its 2027 Australia Day awards, introducing a streamlined awards structure and locking in the Mission Beach Resort as the venue for next January’s official celebration.
Following recommendations adopted at council’s latest meeting, the upcoming awards event will take place on Friday 22 January 2027.
The annual ceremony provides an opportunity for the community to publicly recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions, achievements, and leadership of individuals and local groups who make a lasting difference across the region.
Under the updated Australia Day awards guidelines, council has refreshed the program to ensure the nomination and selection process remains transparent and consistent.
The core program will now feature seven distinct award categories, down from 17 in previous years:
Citizen of the year
Young citizen of the year
Lifetime contribution award
Community event/project of the year
Community champion award
AdvertisementSportsperson of the year
Sustainable environment award.
Four previous categories – including the arts and culture award, achievement award, innovation and excellence award, and community group award – have been officially removed.
In a significant shift designed to give youth-focused achievements a dedicated spotlight, six youth categories will move to the region’s annual Youth Week celebrations held each April.
These categories include the achievement/academic award, young arts and culture award, young sportsperson of the year, young entrepreneur/s award, young sustainable environment award, and the first nations fire award.
The 2027 awards will be decided by an annual selection panel comprising the mayor, councillors, and, where appropriate, a previous citizen of the year recipient.
Nominations are open to individuals and community organisations across the Cassowary Coast, with each entry requiring a supporting referee. Submissions must be lodged online via council’s SmartyGrants portal.
Community members are encouraged to begin considering local champions, volunteers and standout community projects to nominate ahead of the 2027 event.
Further details regarding nomination opening dates and online portal access will be made available through council’s communication channels.
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