For the first time in nearly a decade Taree's Australia Day celebrations will return to Queen Elizabeth Park on Sunday.
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The decision to again hold the function in QEP was made by the group formed that organise the event. This is made up of representatives from Taree Rotary clubs, Taree Lions club and Quota.
The former Greater Taree City Council moved the Australia Day event from Queen Elizabeth Park to the Manning Entertainment Centre in 2013. Council cited concerns with the weather for the main reason for making the change. In 2011 the ceremony had to be hastily moved indoors to council's headquarters because of torrential rain, while ceremonies were held in other years in stifling heat.
In 2019 MidCoast Council's Australia Day ceremony was held at Club Taree.
However, MidCoast Council's Australia Day function will be held at Forster on Sunday in conjunction with the Saltwater Freshwater Festival.
This decision was announced in October and meant Taree might not have had an Australia Day ceremony unless the community became involved.
Rhonda Futterleib, president of the Taree on Manning Rotary Club, facilitated the first meeting of a committee to take over the organisation. The committee includes representatives from the Rotary clubs of Taree and Taree North, Taree Lions, Taree Quota, Club Taree and the Manning River Times.
However, there was an early obstacle with the group's first meeting scheduled when the Manning was in the grip of the bushfire crisis in November. The Rotary and Lions clubs were then busy with the organisation of bushfire relief and fund raising drives.
Despite all this, the committee has put together a program for Sunday.
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Bruce Moy will be the MC with Maurie Stack OAM the Australia Day ambassador. Mr Stack was one of the driving forces behind the appeal to assist those affected locally by the devastating bushfires.
There will be awards presented to the citizen of the year, junior citizen of the year, community group and a new category, a community achiever. Nominations were received from the general public.
The Manning River Times Sportstar of the Year for 2019 will be announced in conjunction with the award ceremony.
The Times sportstar award - known as the Ken McDonald Memorial - has a history dating back to 1960.
Finalists for this came from the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week winners from last year.
The finalists will be announced in Friday's Times.
Sunday will start with breakfast at 8.30 with the awards starting at 9.30.
