Livingstone Shire Council is asking residents to nominate people who make a difference in their community for the 2027 Australia Day Awards. Nominations open on Tuesday 27 October and close at midnight on Friday 11 December 2026. Recent winners include 2026 Citizen of the Year Robert Lang, who has spent 53 years with the Rural Fire Service, and 2026 Young Citizen of the Year Myilly Symington, a former Cultural Captain at Yeppoon State High School. Award categories include Citizen of the Year, Arts and Culture, Environmental Achievement and Business, Innovation and Corporate Responsibility.
Residents can now nominate local people for the 2027 Boroondara Citizen of the Year Awards. The awards recognise people of all ages who make an exceptional contribution to their community through volunteering, mentoring, leadership, education, sport, environmental action or cultural work. There are two categories: Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year. Nominations close at 5 pm on Friday 20 November 2026. Nominees must be nominated by someone else and must be Australian citizens who live, work, study or volunteer in the City of Boroondara.
A new community space in Moolap will open next week, offering people of all abilities a place to belong. Shed 4 All Abilities will hold its free Grand Opening on Wednesday 28 October, from 4pm to 6pm, at 57-69 Greenside Grove. Program supervisor Clinton Berends said the shed aims to support people who are isolated, particularly because of disability, and help them build friendships. Secretary Donna Witnish said the venue is for people of all ages, genders and abilities to join shared activities and projects. Open Days will also run on 4, 5, 10 and 11 November.
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Two volunteers in Canberra support Nepali migrants who are struggling with rising costs and visa rules. Santosh, who leads Sanatan Samaj Australia, says most people reach him only when problems have become serious. Gambling, loans and credit card debt often emerge after a student's first year. Sujan, who arrived in 2016, helps newcomers understand job and study pathways. Neither man is paid for this work, and Santosh wants a community space where people can be noticed early.
The Greater Dandenong Volunteer Resource Service has been renamed Volunteer Plus and will now be managed by the Dandenong Community Learning Centre. The service will keep connecting local volunteers with opportunities across the city. Mayor Sophie Tan said the change would help the service stay sustainable and support community participation in the future. The service thanked South East Volunteers for its long-running work delivering the program. The service will operate from the Dandenong Community Learning Centre's main hub in King Street, Dandenong.
A community calendar lists local events and activities for not-for-profit groups in the Sunbury and Macedon Ranges areas. The Romsey/Lancefield Ambulance Auxiliary is selling tickets for a Christmas raffle, with the draw set for 12 December at the Romsey Carols Night. Other listings include children's choirs, a toddler messy play program, a men's shed, a photographic society and a seniors club. Groups also meet for craft, badminton, pickleball, amateur radio and historic park volunteering.
Swanbourne's largest community garage sale returns on November 15, running from 7am to noon across the suburb's streets. Organiser Bridget Robertson, a 22-year resident, launched the event last year and says any resident can host a sale on the day. Last year 60 garages registered, and Ms Robertson hopes to reach up to 100 this year. Residents can register online to be added to a digital map, and the event is cash only.
Greek Cypriot community advocate Constantine Pagonis has received a Council on the Ageing Victoria Senior Achiever Award. The honour was presented on Tuesday, 20 October, as part of the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. Pagonis has spent more than 40 years as a volunteer, mentor and advocate for culturally diverse communities. He has served on the Welcoming Cities governance committee since 2015 and edited a newsletter for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria. He also volunteers to digitise historical records at the Australian Jazz Museum.
Kaniva resident Noel Austin received a Highly Commended award in the Premier's Award for Victorian Senior of the Year at Parliament House on Tuesday. West Wimmera Shire Council nominated him for his long-standing work with the Country Fire Authority and Rural Financial Counselling Victoria-Wimmera South West. Mayor Tim Meyer, who attended the ceremony, said Mr Austin's contribution spanned more than six decades. Mr Austin joined the CFA in 1964 and remains an active volunteer, mentoring generations of members and training about 600 volunteers in driving.
Friends and community members recently gathered at the Cairnlea Community Hub to celebrate the 90th birthday of Joe Casa. Mr Casa migrated from Malta in 1954 and has spent most of his life in Sunshine. He joined a long-running walking group after his wife's death and regularly attends the Albanvale Men's Shed. He has also mentored young drivers in the L2P Driver Program and has been a Heart Foundation member for 18 years.
Whittlesea volunteer Raymundo Rosales has been recognised with the Ageing Victorian Senior Achiever Award at the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. He has volunteered with several groups, including the Mernda CFA, which he joined in 2005 after starting with South Morang CFA. Since 2009 he has supported refugees, asylum seekers and victims of domestic violence through the St Vincent de Paul Society. Rosales said he was surprised by the honour and wants to share the recognition with the volunteers he works alongside.
Wonthaggi volunteer Stella Hitchins has been honoured as a 2026 Community Gem by Jordan Crugnale, State Member for Bass. The award recognises her work at the Wonthaggi Community Harvest Garden, where she has volunteered for 15 years. Hitchins has also distributed food, clothing and household goods to relief centres across the region. Crugnale said Hitchins had left a lasting mark on the community. The Community Gem initiative, now in its seventh year, invites residents to nominate people who show selflessness and generosity.
The Lions Club of Hamilton in western Victoria runs a wide range of community work, from fundraising for the Children's Hospital Appeal to driving patients to hospital appointments. Its members also run eye screening in schools and support Meals on Wheels. The club has recently had new roller doors installed at its Hamilton Showgrounds headquarters, funded through a budget bid with Southern Grampians Shire Council. With only eighteen members, more than half over eighty, president Raelene Hadden says the club is keen to recruit new volunteers of any skills.
Wyndham volunteer Mahendrakumar Patel has been recognised with the Emerging Impact Award at this year's Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. The award honours a new volunteer making a significant impact in their local community. It is Mr Patel's first major honour. Since joining the United Seniors Club in 2022, he has served as secretary for four years, supporting more than 380 members. He helps older migrants with language barriers, including tutoring in Gujarati and Hindi, and has helped provide over 10,000 free meals.
Maranoa Council has adopted an Employee Volunteering Policy that lets eligible staff volunteer during working hours. Council has also set entry fees for the Denise Spencer Aquatic Centre, which opens in seven weeks. Adult entry will be $5, child and concession entry $3, and a family casual pass $14.50. Council gave in-principle support to a Housing Activation Reserve, which would reinvest property sale or development proceeds into housing. It also approved a Club-funded refurbishment of the Members Bar at Bassett Park.
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A weekly cleanup club has grown from one University of Melbourne student picking up rubbish alone at 6am. Ryunosuke Himeda started the Morning Cleanup Club to build a healthier routine and give back to the city. The group now meets at 7.20am each Wednesday, clearing streets, parks and public spaces near the campus. Cigarette butts are the most common litter collected. City of Melbourne councillor Rafael Camillo joined a cleanup on October 14.
City of Parramatta has opened nominations for its 2027 Citizen of the Year Awards, which recognise people and groups who make a lasting difference through volunteering, leadership, creativity, environmental action and kindness. Residents can nominate a volunteer, community champion, young leader or local group until 5pm on Friday, October 30. Expressions of interest for the judging panel close on Monday, October 26. Recipients will be announced at a January ceremony as part of Council's Australia Day program.
Two Walcha students have returned from Fiji with a new sense of gratitude after volunteering at an orphanage in Suva. Eva Haselwood and Mark Grayling were among 14 Year 8 students from The Armidale School who joined the school's 26th Christian service trip to St Christopher's Home. A main project was reviving the home's sick bay, which had been unused since Covid. Students cleaned the space, installed new beds and sewed curtains. Haselwood said the trip showed her that happiness does not depend on having much.
