Citizen of the Year – Wayne Holdsworth
Wayne was recognised for his outstanding community contributions, impressive advocacy against sexual extortion and heartfelt fight to protect the mental health of the local community.
Wayne has been able to channel his own family tragedy – the passing of his 17-year-old son Mac – into the creation of SmackTalk, which aims to protect people against online threats and promote suicide prevention.
Since starting SmackTalk, Wayne has delivered numerous free presentations across the country, launched Unplug24 to encourage people to disconnect from social media, raised thousands of dollars in donations, been instrumental in the introduction of tougher laws around the minimum age for social media usage and was also nominated for the 2025 Australian of the Year Award.
Wayne is not only changing community understanding around these important social issues, but he is saving lives.
Wayne said: “I am really proud to be able to stand in front of you here today, leaving a legacy for my boy Mac. We lost him just over a year ago, my wife Maggie and I decided to use his death as a catalyst to do more around suicide prevention.”
“We have an opportunity to make a difference in the community. So, I’d encourage everyone to jump on smacktalk.com.au and register your interest in having a session delivered and as every session goes, we’ll save lives.”
Young Citizen of the Year – David McFarlane
David was recognised for his significant and lasting impact on the local Scouts community through his unwavering commitment over the past 13 years.
As Unit Leader of the Mavis Rover Unit, David has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a genuine passion for guiding younger scouts.
David commits a large portion of his personal time to the Scouts and other community events. His devotion and efforts have been recognised with serval Scouts awards, which is a testament to his hard work and excellence in service.
Whether he is mentoring young scouts, leading seminars or working alongside his peers, David is positively impacting the lives of all those who interact with him.
David’s mother attended the awards on his behalf and said: “When you volunteer you don’t expect anything, you are just volunteering to do your best for the community.”
“No one expects to actually be nominated and win an award for just doing what they think they should be doing.”
Community Group of the Year - Women and Mentoring (WAM)
Women and Mentoring was recognised for their work in matching supportive volunteer mentors with women and non-binary people who are experiencing legal issues.
The unique, early intervention program has been running for more than 16 years to provide a pathway for people to develop and use positive life skills.
Through their support, individuals can address the root cause of their original legal offence and prevent future involvement in the criminal justice system.
WAM builds connection and understanding throughout the community, breaking down shame and stigma for those who engage the service. They show that positive mentorship can create a positive and lasting change in a person and their community.
Women and Mentoring, Mentor Coordinator, Heather Stewart said: “It’s amazing to win. WAM is an organisation that has grown, we started off so small. So, the fact that we got to this point is amazing and what’s really fantastic is that we get to talk about what WAM do and hopefully more volunteers will put their hand up to help women in their own community.”
