Bass Coast community award winners announced at first ceremony since restructure

The people working hard to make Bass Coast a better place have been recognised at the Bass Coast community awards. Find out who took home an award.

Bass Coast community heroes have been recognised at a council awards night.

The outstanding efforts of residents and community groups has been recognised at the Bass Coast Community Awards.

The winners of four categories: environment and sustainability, community group, next generation leader, and community leader were announced at a Bass Coast council ceremony in Inverloch on Monday night.

Bass Coast Shire Council Mayor Michael Whelan said all nominees were outstanding examples of the individuals and groups who provide the passion, enthusiasm and community-spirit which make Bass Coast a great place to live.

The community awards were previously the Australia Day Awards but last December the council voted to move them from January 26 and rebrand them.

The change was attributed to creating a “more inclusive local awards celebration”.

See who took home an award.

Environment and Sustainability Award: Paul Speirs

Paul Speirs (right) of Bass Coast.

Mr Speirs has lived in Bass Coast for more than 30 years and he encapsulates what it means to be a true leader in the environmental and sustainability space.

He has dedicated a large portion of his life to volunteering for Landcare. Paul moved from Melbourne to Archies Creek to start a family, while also becoming a Riparian re-vegetator.

Paul inspired his neighbours to start the Archies Creek Reforestation Group in the early ‘90s.

Since then, the group has planted more than 200,000 plants in their local area.

Paul has been a part of planting a biolink that is 100m wide and stretches across not only his own property but the properties of five of his neighbours.

Community Group Award: Wonthaggi Boxing Club Inc

Secretary of the Wonthaggi Boxing Club Steve Dunn, said they were “shocked” when they were announced the winners of the community group award.

“When we saw the list of nominees we thought we probably we wouldn’t win,” he said.

“There were some pretty strong groups there.”

“So we were blown away when they said we had won.”

Wonthaggi Boxing Club has worked collaboratively with lots of other community groups in Bass Coast to restore the old CFA building in Wonthaggi to its now vibrant state.

Mr Dunn said in late 2017 when they started the process to use the building it was “completely trashed”.

The building had fallen into disrepair after it was vacated by the CFA with every window smashed, holes in the plaster and all the electrical wires being pulled from the walls but, in 2017 the Wonthaggi Boxing Club approached the council with a vision for what it could be.

Wonthaggi Boxing Club has worked collaboratively with lots of other community groups in Bass Coast to restore the old CFA building in Wonthaggi to its now vibrant state. Â

After receiving permission to lease the building, and with financial assistance and support from the state government and council, the new location was turned into a boxing gym.

Wonthaggi Boxing Club then also encouraged the building to be used by the local YMCA as its Youth Hub space.

This has allowed many youth in the community to access supports and help and has allowed local schools to engage with the services too.

“This facility is an amazing example of a fantastic collaboration between innovative community groups,” council said.

The club was integral in revitalising the space but also continues to provide the Bass Coast community with a place to go to learn a skill, keep fit and connect with other community members.

Mr Dunn said it was a collaborative effort from so many members of the community to get to where they are today.

He said they are looking forward to having the outside area, used mostly by the youth club, finished with a BBQ and some greenery so there is another area to use for socialising.

“It is really justa multi purpose space. We have the gym and the youth club and there is a shed where music lessons are run. Wonthaggi Secondary also use the space for their flow program,” he said.

“We were certainly surprised but we were happy to be chosen as the winners.”

Next Generation Leader Award: Liam Marangio

19-year-old Liam Marangio is a member of the Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club and has shown remarkable leadership in the community, representing the regions “bright” future.

Mr Marangio is a passionate member of the life saving club and has accumulated more than 250 hours on patrol, helping save many lives and preventing tragedies from happening on the beach.

Liam Marangio is a surf life saver at the Cape Paterson Life Saving Club.

Liam has proved to be “extremely adept” at garnering energy around the club and encouraging more and more people to become involved and provide valuable life saving services.

Last year Mr Marangio joined the club’s committee and leads by example with his philosophy being “actions speak louder than words”.

The passionate local has already achieved the highest award in volunteer lifesaving, the gold medallion.

Community Leader Award: Catherine Watson

Catherine Watson (right) of Bass Coast

Catherine Watson is inspiring locals to stand up and fight to save the Western Port Woodlands from sand mining.

A vital community resource for Bass Coast residents and visitors, the woodlands is the last remnant block of coastal forest in the shire.

Ms Watson created the group’s new name, Save the Western Port Woodlands, and has a quiet way of marshalling local groups.

She said winning the award was good to give the group the recognition it deserved.

“Every second person down here in Bass Coast is a leader, there are so many people doing so many things but the important thing about the win was the recognition for the group,” she said.

“It gives us more credibility.”

She has been quietly active in leading the conservation group, including advocacy, garnering public support through social media and co-ordinating gatherings to promote the cause.

Recently Ms Watson was integral in the DAL hearings and said they were “somewhat of a breakthrough” for the woodlands as there was an “agreement they were special and needed protection”.

She said her and the group will not stop until the woodlands have guaranteed protection from sand mines.

“We have already made quite an impact and we are not going away, we are not stopping our campaigns,” she said.

But, Ms Watson’s main goal is to take people to the woodlands and let them see for themselves the charm of the environment.

“So many people don’t even know it is there but once they see what a special place it is they realise we need to protect it,” she said.

“I really encourage people to go and explore the woodlands.”

She has also convened meetings, including the important meet the candidates forum held before the Victorian election in 2022.

All those who were nominated for an award were also thanked for their contributions to the shire. The nominees were:

Community Group Award

• Cape Paterson SLSC, Cape Paterson

• Corinella and District Community Centre, Corinella

• Cowes Community Meal, Cowes

• Grace Chapel, Dalyston

• Grantville Business and Community Association, Grantville

• Inverloch RSL Sub-Branch, Inverloch

• Kilcunda Bass Football Netball Club Inc-Catering Group, Bass

• Phillip Island Boardriders Club, Newhaven

• Wonthaggi Boxing Club Inc, Wonthaggi

• YES Youth Hub, Wonthaggi

• Youki‘s Shed, Cowes

Community Leader (individual)

• Mandy Chancellor, Newhaven

• Charlie Crawford, Cape Paterson

• Ron Day, Cowes

• Ben Fokkens, Cowes

• Colleen Gilbee, Cape Woolamai

• Michelle Isles, Cape Paterson

• Barbara Oates, Corinella

• Karen Thorp, Wonthaggi

• Michael and Sue Turton, Cape Paterson

• Catherine Watson, Wonthaggi

Environment and Sustainability (individual or group)

• Barbara Oates, Corinella

• Marjorie Scott, Inverloch

• Paul Speirs, Ryanston

• Save Westernport Woodlands

• Energy Innovation Co-operative

Next Generation Leader (individual or group)

• Chloe Lawson, North Wonthaggi

• Liam Marangio, Cape Paterson

• Mia Thompson, Cowes