Citizen of the Year nominees ‘ignored’ during Australia Day Award ceremony

The Kempsey Shire Council Australia Day Awards included four categories for awards; Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Community Group of the Year. 

The full list of nominees in three of the categories were announced to the audience while council decided to only read out half of the 12 nominees in the Citizen of the Year category. 

Owner of the South West Roxy Cinema, Andrew Mercado, was one of the nominees who wasn’t recognised at the ceremony.

“I don’t mind that my name wasn’t called out as a nominee, but this is all about the other nominees who were ignored on the night. We believe the ones who weren’t read out were Ronald Wan and Mark Wan, Allan Simpkins, Kes Zvirzdinas, Renea Rootes and myself,” Mr Mercado said. 

“We were all invited to sit up the front and as they started reading out the nominees for Citizen of the Year, they got up to the man sitting next to me before saying ‘Okay that’s all of the finalists, and the winners are’ and we were all left just sitting there.

“I just can’t believe Ron Wan and his family travelled from Sydney because he was nominated and then to just have him be ignored, it’s very insulting.”

To add insult to the injury, Mr Wan who co-owned the Kempsey Chinese Restaurant with his brother Mark for 48 years, wasn’t given a reserved seat at the awards.

“They’d forgotten to put his name out so he didn’t have anywhere to sit,” Mr Mercado said. 

In a statement provided by Kempsey Shire Council, they have acknowledged the feedback received by members of the community.

“Council acknowledges there has been some feedback from a small number of community members seeking clarification and expressing concerns about the event process followed at last week’s Australia Day event,” mayor Liz Campbell said in the statement.

“We apologise to award nominees who were in attendance and not individually invited to the stage due to the change in this year’s ceremony format to only acknowledge finalists in the respective categories.”

Mayor Campbell said council will review the feedback received and work to improve the ceremony for next year.

“Councillors, as the Australia Day Committee, will take on board the feedback received and will be seeking to review our procedures for the Australia Day Awards in 2020,” she said. 

“I’m committed to improving the process and the event for future years.”

Mr Mercado is planning to hold an alternate function to celebrate all the nominees for Citizen of the Year. 

“It’s going to be called The Op-Shop Ball so local op-shops will receive some money because everyone will need to dress up. There will be music and comedy as well as speeches to recognise the nominees who were left out of the Australia Day Awards Ceremony,” Mr Mercado said. 

“All of the money for tickets and from the night will be donated to Macleay Valley Hospice as well. There will be an opportunity for people to get up and speak about other locals who have done great things in the community.”

Mr Mercado said the event will be inclusive of everyone and all Kempsey Shire councillors will be invited to come along.

The event is planned to be held on March 16 or 17. If you are interested in attending, keep up to date with the South West Roxy Cinema events through their Facebook page.

The full list of Citizen of the Year nominees for 2019 were: 

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