THE newly opened RiverStage on the Manning River Foreshore will be the focal point for an Australia Day celebration to be held in Taree on January 26.
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This will include an Australia Day breakfast and presentation of community awards and will be followed by a concert, which will finish around 3pm and feature local performers.
For the second successive year this will be organised by a group made up of representatives of Taree-based Rotary and Lions clubs along with Taree Quota Club. This group stepped in late last year when MidCoast Council opted to link its Australia Day function with the Saltwater Freshwater Festival held at Forster. Had the group not become involved, Taree wouldn't have had any formal Australia Day activities in 2020.
Last month council announced the Australia Day formalities this year would be limited to a citizenship ceremony at Club Taree on January 26. This was because of concerns at COVID-19 protocols.
"It's a shame that we aren't able to mark Australia Day in the same we usually do and the cancellation of the Saltwater Freshwater Festival is a great loss for our community, but I'm glad we can still celebrate the day this way," mayor David West said.
Rhonda Futterleib from the Rotary Club of Taree on Manning was the instigator of this year's community event held on the foreshore. This attracted nearly 300 people.
Mrs Futterleib said she was 'disappointed' with council's decision not to conduct an Australia Day function in 2021. She noted that her group organised last January's event at relatively short notice and at a time when service clubs members were heavily involved in coordinating bushfire relief operations.
Mrs Futterleib contacted the National Australia Day Council (NADC) outlining the proposal to hold a community event in Taree on January 26 and was successful in securing an $8200 grant to assist with costs involved, particularly concerning COVID-19 restrictions.
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The community will be asked to submit nominations for the various awards and these will be open soon. The Manning River Times-Ken McDonald Memorial Sportstar of the Year will also be announced in conjunction, as was the case last January. This will mark the 60th anniversary of the award.
Taree's Australia Day Ambassador will also speak at the function, with the NADC theme for 2021 being Reflect, Respect, Celebrate, we're all part of the story.
Maurie Stack OAM was the ambassador last January. In his address he predicted the 2021 function would be held at the same venue, using the RiverStage that was under construction at the time.
His words turned out to be prophetic.
