Dear Sir,
Along with a number of other Dimboola and Nhill people, Cr Nelson, Cr Robins and I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Volunteers Western Victoria volunteer awards evening at the Horsham Town Hall last Friday evening.
Hindmarsh Shire was very well represented amongst the finalists in four of the nine award categories.  It was particularly great to see three local individuals recognised for the extraordinary contribution they make to Dimboola:  Bill McCann, Jan Ballard and Dylan Hartwich.
Congratulations to each of those residents for being a finalist and to the people who recognised the great work they do and took the time to nominate them. To Bill McCann, congratulations on being the very worthy winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award and thank you for your dedication and commitment to the Country Fire Authority and to the safety of our community over more than 60 years.
With the Nhill SES also winning the Emergency Recovery and Rehabilitation Service Award and the Nhill Neighbourhood House winning the Celebrating Diversity Award, the night turned out to be a great event for Hindmarsh and the whole evening emphasised the huge role and impact that volunteers have right across our region.  Volunteers Western Victoria can be very proud of the success of the inaugural awards and greatly encouraged as they plan for the next awards in two years’ time.
Yours etc.
Tony Schneider