Community spirit
Medallion winner – Debbie Brown
Debbie has been a dedicated community member who over the many years played a pivotal role in shaping the smaller communities of the Shire, particularly Labertouche and Longwarry.
She has been involved in the lions club and instrumental in bringing about food security initiatives such as Second Bite, Food Bank, the Longwarry Community Garden and Orchard.
Cr Gauci said Debbie remained the driving force behind many community welfare initiatives for social issues such as homelessness, women’s support and is continually lobbying in support of our farmers.
Debbie said she was passionate about her community but she could not do it without the support of family and friends.
She said it was rewarding to now see her children actively involved in their communitis.
Medallion winner – Matt Runnalls
Cr Gauci said Matt, at age 26, was establishing himself as a young, inspirational, trailblazer with a strong personal interest and passion in helping those who struggle with mental health.
He said Matt was using his own personal experience to drive change, working tirelessly as a mental health advocate, creating awareness, acceptance and education particularly around mental illness and suicide prevention.
Matt told the audience he had lost six mates to suicide and survived his own suicide attempt.
In 2016 he successfully registered MindfullAus, a non-profit charitable organisation aimed at encouraging those affected by mental illness to come out of the shadows of the surrounding stigma via self-acceptance and education.
Matt continues to advocate and breakdown the stigma around mental health and works towards prevention of suicide.
He said his journey had only just begun and he hoped his organisation would help to create a bigger, more powerful voice for mental health issues.
Community contribution – environmental achievement
The Friends of Drouin’s Trees community group is continually working hard create an appreciation of trees in Drouin.
In 2015, a working party began the huge task of developing and compiling a significant tree register for Drouin.
Cr Gauci said the group remained a strong influence in the community with a blog, participation in many local events, working bees, nature walks and presence in the local media.
Peter Ware said the group was a great team who worked together with the shire to establish the register.
“But our work’s not done. There’s a long way to go and this will inspire us to keep our beautiful town and beautiful shire as they are,” he said.
Community contribution – cultural achievement
The Baw Baw Arts Alliance, established in 2010, is a volunteer-run organisation that aims to reach out to and inspire through the arts, while also promoting and encouraging a vibrant and creative arts environment within the community.
The Baw Baw Arts Alliance provides a network for artists and those interested in the arts to share information and resources, to develop new skills, and promote the work of local artists.
Group president Kay Lancashire said the group had had an amazing impact on the community in a short time.
“It blows me away the dedication, skill and creativity amongst our member. We have 250 members and we are always growing,” she said.