Mayor's Speeches

10 December 2024: Altavilla Ipirna Sports and Social Club The Parade, Beulah Park

Good evening everyone,

I am delighted to be here. I thank Principal Adam Slater and Mr Chris Heaney, the Year 6 teacher, for the very kind invitation to participate in this special occasion.

As Mayor, I have been honoured to attend graduation ceremonies at different primary and secondary schools in our council area.

This is the tenth time I have had the honour of attending the St Joseph’s Memorial School Graduation dinner. As a parent of three former students, a former member of the school Board, football coach and mayor, I have a special affection for this school, its teachers, students and the wider school community.

Firstly, I want to congratulate all of the Year 6 students who are graduating this evening. Tonight is your night. You should all be very proud of what you have achieved not only this year but for every year of your primary school education.

Congratulations also to your parents, grandparents, caregivers and other members of your family who have supported you along the way. I am sure they are all very proud of you. And of course, congratulations to Mr Heaney, Mr Slater and all of the other teachers and staff at St Joseph’s Memorial School who I know have played different, but equally important roles in your education up to now.

For parents and caregivers, I am sure it seems like only yesterday that you waved (and cried) after dropping off your child for their first day as a Reception student at St Joseph’s Memorial School. But here you are tonight in what I am sure seems like the blink of an eye. I can honestly say that I understand the mixed emotions that you are feeling – immense pride, gratitude and a sense of achievement, while at the same time sadness and a genuine wish that now and then, time could stand still.

I know that for many families, tonight marks the end of your formal association with the school; an association that has allowed you to enjoy each other’s company on many school-related and social occasions. I do not doubt that while for some of you, your formal association with the school may be coming to an end, your connection with its families will continue.

To the graduating Class of 2024, I know that you also have mixed emotions in reaching this important milestone – the end of your primary school years. You too should feel an overwhelming sense of pride having learnt so much in just a handful of years. You will also feel nervous and hopeful about the future, sad that some of your friends will be going to different schools, and excited by the new opportunities your new school will bring. Most of you first walked through the SJMS gates for the first time as strangers, but I hope that tomorrow you will leave the same gates for the last time as friends.

Remember, you have only just started your journey through life, and life is a marathon, not a sprint. Just remember that you will be adults for fifty, sixty or even seventy years or more. But you are only a child for a fraction of this time, so pace yourselves.

You will experience success and failure. There will be good days and bad days. But remember that when things just aren’t going right and you feel it’s just not your day, there is always a chance it may be your moment. So, make the most of your opportunities when they come along because these moments can turn into special memories that will stay with you forever. And while you are young, never think that you are too young to make the world a better place.

Whatever your passion is, be confident that with the help of your friends and family and a strong belief in yourself, you too can achieve great things and change the world. I hope that you bring your passion to Secondary School and share it with new people that you meet. I also hope that along with passion you also bring respect, humility and kindness to everyone you meet. These are the values that are at the core of St Joseph’s Memorial School. They can also be the values that guide you into the future.

As students of this school, you are part of the wonderful tradition of learning established by Saint Mary McKillop of the Cross 152 years ago. But St Joseph’s is not just a place to learn the skills of maths and English, it is also a place to learn lessons of life. So, now that you have a solid foundation for your life in place, the question for each of you is: “Where to from here?” I am sure that some of you wish you had a map and compass to help you. But maps are only useful if you need to know how to get to your destination and compasses are only useful when you are lost.

I do not doubt that some of you already know your destination – what you want to be when you grow up, and that’s terrific. But sometimes, if you think too much about the destination, you may not allow yourself to enjoy, or at least experience, what can be a wonderful journey along the way. The next six years of secondary school will be an incredible time for you all. You will be given opportunities you do not even know about.

As you move through your teenage years, you will have a whole range of new personal experiences you’ve never had up to now. You will make new friends; friends who will learn things from you and friends you will learn from. You will have teachers that inspire you. You will celebrate your successes and reflect on your disappointments.

There will be happy times and there will be sad times. And yes, there will even be times when you lose hope and just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. If that ever happens, always remember that you are not alone. Your parent's hands will be on one shoulder and God’s hand will be on the other. They will be your compass and your light to guide you forward.

So, as you go to bed for the last time as students of St Joseph's Memorial School for the last time, all of us here hope you remember: It’s your smiling faces that make the stars shine bright. It is your dreams that help us sleep at night.

As the end of your time at St Joseph's draws near we’ll try hard to keep smiling through the tears. Especially tomorrow, when you give your friends one last ‘high five’, turn around to look back, and with one last wave say, “goodbye.”

Good luck and God bless.

11 November 2024: St Peters Heroes Memorial, St Peters Street, St Peters

Thank you, Ian (Smith), our MC.

• Her Excellency, The Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia and Mr Rod Bunten
• Distinguished Guests
• Family and descendants of the St Peters Heroes.

It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be in the presence of so many of descendants of the St Peters heroes, some of whom have travelled from different parts of Australia.

On behalf of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, I thank you sincerely for being here today.

Our community, our state and our nation are indebted to your ancestors for their service and sacrifice. 

A special welcome and thank you to the students from our local schools where many of the men we honour this afternoon were educated. 

I also want to acknowledge the St Peters Residents Association.

In particular, the incredible body of research and effort undertaken by David Cree and members of the Association, who with the generous support of so many people here today, and a grant from the Government of South Australia’s ANZAC Day Commemoration Fund, have made this re-dedication ceremony possible.

The Council commends the Association for its important contribution to the history of St Peters. 

We gather on Remembrance Day 2024, almost 80 years after the end of Second World War, at this ANZAC Avenue of Honour dedicated by the Council in 2014 to mark the centenary of the start of the Great War.

Just over a century ago, the women of St Peters resolved to erect a memorial to honour the St Peters Heroes who fell in the Great War.

A committee was formed to raise funds for the memorial and to decide the form it should take.

The then Town of St Peters reserved an area at the Town Hall end of St Peters Street, not far from where we stand today.

The final design, by Adelaide architect and artist Edward Davies, consisted of a base of Angaston marble on top of which is a statue of an Australian ‘Digger’ with arms reversed, sculptured in Carrara marble in Italy and based on photographs taken at the Keswick Barracks of a typical Australian soldier.

The cost of the memorial was fully met by public subscriptions, with the unveiling and dedication conducted by the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency, Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Earnest George Archibald Weigall KCMG.

It is fitting therefore, that 102 years after Governor Weigall dedicated this memorial on behalf of the St Peters community, our current Governor will unveil the plaque attached to this memorial.  

I thank Her Excellency, for being here today.

Today, we gather in the presence of a solitary soldier, who since February 1922, has kept vigil over the memories and legacies of the 145 local men who fell during the Great War.

Today, eighty-nine Second World War St Peters Heroes who also made the ultimate sacrifice will also come under his watch.

One hundred and six years ago at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns fell silent on the Western Front, signalling the Armistice to end what many hoped was ‘the war to end all wars.’

For the Diggers who survived the Great War, which up to that point was the most brutal conflict in human history, little did they know or expect, that an only a generation later darkness would again fall over Europe and their sons, nephews and in some cases younger brothers, would wear Australia’s uniform in battle.

September 3rd, 1939 was a Sunday. It was Spring.

Not far from where we stand local churches were full of parishioners attending morning services, signing hymns, giving praise to the Lord and praying for a world on the brink in the wake of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland two days earlier.

The peace of the morning would soon be shattered when, later that day, Australia’s Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced the beginning of Australia's involvement in the Second World War.

“Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in consequence of the persistence of Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that, as a result, Australia is also at war.”

For the next six years the world was on fire.

The promise of prosperity in the 1920s followed by the despair of the Depression in the 1930s gave way to the weariness of war in the 1940s.

Over the course of the conflict, 39,000 Australians would lose their lives, over 30,000 would be taken prisoner with more than a third of them dying during captivity. 

Many more would be wounded.

From the skies over the English Channel, to the rugged hills of Crete, from the desert sands of North Africa to the jungles of New Guinea, from the monsoons of Burma to the heat of the Pacific islands, the Australians were there.

They stood with Britain in its darkest hour and America after a day of infamy.

In the tight-knitted community of the then Town of St Peters, brothers followed brothers, mates followed mates and neighbours followed neighbours to join Australia’s military forces.

Between 1939 and 1945 more than 800 men and women who lived in the former Town of St Peters enlisted to serve in the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force.

Eighty-nine would make the supreme sacrifice, with most who responded to the call to arms for God and country, returning to their country in God’s arms.

They lived in blue stone villas in St Peters and worker’s cottages in Stepney.

They came from the middle class and the working class.

They were married and they were single.

They were bank clerks and law clerks, teachers and toy makers, students and salesmen.

They were Anglicans and Methodists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

They were educated in public schools, and they were educated at elite colleges.

They were Australian-born and foreign-born.

And yet, for all their differences they were drawn together for a common cause: to fight against the tyranny of the Axis Powers: Germany, Italy and Japan.

Among the siblings who served and died were the Dumas brothers, Charles and Keith, sons to Edmund Russell Dumas and Gertrude Diosma Dumas, and older sister Betty.

The family lived at 189 Payneham Road, St Peters - not far from where we meet today. 

Charles, the older son, was born in North Adelaide on 18 March 1919. After attending Adelaide Technical High School, he took a job as a Bank Clerk with the Commonwealth Bank.

During his teenage years, Charles served in the Citizen Forces with the 10th Battalion Adelaide Rifles and after almost three and half years was discharged. 

His Certificate of Discharge reported his military conduct was “very good.”

At the time of his enlistment with the RAAF on 7 December 1940, Charles was 21 years of age and single.

He stood at 5 feet 11 inches and had Green-Blue eyes and fair hair.

In March 1941, Charles was sent to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, to train as a flying officer before being commissioned on 26 August that year with two-two-three (223) Squadron was killed in an air battle over the Middle East on 10 August 1942, having been reported missing that day.

On Boxing Day 1942, ‘The Advertiser’s’ Casualty List reported Charles’ parents had been notified of his death.

The same article reported his brother Keith Russell Dumas was serving in India.

Keith was born on 14 September 1920. 

Like Charles, he also attended Adelaide Technical High School and also took a job as a Bank Clerk, but in his case, it was with the Union Bank on King William Street, Adelaide.

Four inches shorter than his older brother but arguably more handsome, Keith served 18 months in the 27th Battalion (Scottish Corps) before enlisting with the RAAF on 27 May 1940 at the age 19.

He enlisted 12 days after his father retired as a Senior auditor with the State Audit Office, ending a remarkable 43 years as a Public Servant.

Keith completed his training as a pilot in Australia, the Middle East and Kenya. 

Six months later on 31 October, ‘The Advertiser’ published a notice announcing the engagement of Keith, then training in Cootamundra, New South Wales, to Beryl Patricia Collie. 

On 16 October 1944, Keith Dumas, by then a Flying Officer with 45 Squadron, was killed in an air battle over the skies of Burma.

He was buried in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Mingaladon, Yangon, Myanmar.

We do not know what lives Charles and Keith Dumas would have lived had they survived the war.

What we do know is that these brothers and their brothers in arms who fought and fell in Australia’s name in the Second World War will forever be in our hearts.

The men we honour today served in different theatres of war at different times in different branches of Australia’s military.

Today, for the first time, these brothers, mates and neighbours have been brought together - and will stay together - on a plaque affixed to this memorial without reference to their rank or reputation.

This Soldier’s Memorial will forever unite them and serve as a reminder to all who pass it of the extraordinary effort made by ordinary Australians who answered the call to defend democracy.

We remember them and all others who gave up their tomorrows so we can live today.

Lest we forget.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 

My name is Robert Bria. I am the Mayor of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters. 

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all here to the Norwood Concert Hall for the seventh consecutive Eastside Business Awards. 

We acknowledge this land that we meet on today is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. 

We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

We also pay respects to the cultural authority of Aboriginal people visiting/attending from other areas of South Australia/Australia. 

I would like to acknowledge tonight’s special guests:

• Hon Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs and Minister for Arts.
• Ms Cressida O’Hanlon, Member for Dunstan.
• Mr Vincent Tarzia MP, Member for Hartley, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Road Safety and Sport, Recreation and Racing; and
• Mr Jack Batty, Member for Bragg.

 Welcome to my fellow Elected Members:

• John Callisto
• Sue Whitington
• Claire Clutterham
• Kevin Duke
• Connie Granozio
• Garry Knoblauch
• Kester Moorhouse
• Josh Robinson, and
• Christel Mex.

All a special welcome to all the finalists in the Awards along with staff from Solstice Media who have worked closely with the Council Staff to deliver yet another successful Awards program. 

And to my fellow judges

• David Simmons, journalist at InDaily.
• Jim Plouffe, Business Editor, Solstice Media
• And the Council’s Chief Executive Officer Mario Barone, PSM, and other Council staff who have made tonight a reality. Thank you so much.

As I mentioned, tonight is the seventh Eastside Business Awards. 

The Council is very proud of the local business community we have here in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and sees itself as a partner to promote and support the local economy.    

The Awards are one of many of the Council’s ways of recognising the efforts made by our business community and their contributions to the economic and social framework of our City.  

The importance of acknowledgement, recognition and celebration should never be understated. 

It is a simple yet powerful tool that can have immense rewards – from boosting workplace culture, raising confidence, increasing productivity and contributing to the long-term success of a business. 

I have proudly stood at the helm of these Awards for seven years and I can confidently say that they have played a huge role in boosting the confidence of many small businesses in our City. 

It was therefore fantastic to learn that – this year – a record number of individual businesses were nominated (with 8 businesses nominated for the first time) and the Awards received a total of 10,900 votes.

To be an Eastside Business Award winner or finalist, shows that a business has had an exceptional impact not only on an individual, but also the wider community, and that is something to be immensely proud of. 

So I want to once again extend my sincere congratulations to every business representative here tonight. 

So far 2024 has been an incredible success for the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and I would like to thank the local businesses who have chosen to take part in the wide variety Council events, from the Concerts in the Park series to the recent AFL Gather Round. 

As you would be aware Gather Round was a resounding success not only at Norwood Oval but at the Food & Wine Festival and the countless other activations that took place with 70,000 visitors on the Sunday admiring our beautiful city streets, dining in our restaurants, shopping and spending money! 

And of course, earlier in the year, The Parade was a sea of colour for the Tour Down Under when the efex Men’s Stage 2 attracted thousands of cycling enthusiasts to The Parade and international cameras beamed South Australia’s Premier Mainstreet all over the world. 

I am VERY proud to say that our will Council always be the first to put up its hand to support local businesses and local jobs because we know a strong local economy leads to a strong local community.

This is reflected in Spendmapp data which reveals $1861.86 million was spent from March 2023 to April 2024 compared to $1667.94 million in the same timeframe the year before. 

While we all continue to work together, to lean on each other and applaud each other’s heard work, our economy is growing. 

I really could not be prouder. 

I would now like to invite the State Government’s Minister for Small Business, The Hon. Andrea Michaels MP, to the stage to say a few words. 

[Minister Michaels says a few words]

Thank you, Hon. Andrea Michaels MP. 

Mains will now be served and once we come back, we will announce the winners for each category.

This year there are 11 categories, which have been designed to encapsulate the diverse types of businesses that make up the fabric of our City. 

The winner in each category will not only go home with the prestige which comes with winning an Eastside Business Award, but will also win $1,000 of digital advertising services with Solstice Media and $1,000 of business advisory services thanks to John Zerella and his team at AFM Services.

For each category, I will announce the finalists before announcing the winner. 

The finalists will be announced in alphabetical order. 

Once the winner is announced, can you please come up to the stage to collect your certificate from the Minister. 

And for the finalists, at the completion of the awards ceremony please come to side stage to collect your certificates. 

So, without further ado, let’s get on with the Awards.

Best Arts & Culture / Entertainment Experience

The finalists are:

• Dillons Bookshop
• Mary MacKillop Museum
• Merlin Post Productions 

And the winner is:

• Mary MacKillop Museum 

Mary MacKillop Museum is now a three-time winner of this category - Located on the site established by Mary MacKillop in 1872, where she lived, worked and prayed, the Museum offers a digital, physical and interactive learning experience about Saint Mary MacKillop. 

The Museum is the final stop on a walking trail around the area featuring key sites in Mary’s life. 

Best Café / Restaurant

The finalists are:

• Cafetal Coffee Co
• Pave Café
• Taste of Nepal
• The Nourish’d Kitchen 

And the winner is:

• Pave Café 

This is the second time Pave Cafe has won this category, as well as being a multiple time winner of the Best Coffee category. 

Rimu and his team are continuing to evolve a fresh and delicious food and drink menu with the café located in a unique setting on The Parade.

It is the ultimate brunch / cyclist / dog walking destination.

Best Coffee

The finalists are:

• Cafetal Coffee Co.
• Cheeky Grin Coffee 

And the winner is

• Cheeky Grin Coffee 

Cheeky Grin Coffee is now a three-time winner of this category - Stefan started in 2020 when he was operating out of a mobile cart and has now his business has grown to be an icon in Firle. 

With his “cheeky grin” creating a fun, relaxed and calm coffee stop, Stefan and his business has made quite the impact in the local community. 

Best Customer Experience

The finalists are:

• JAKS Hire & Event
• Physio Smart
• Tito Pignetti – Training & Consulting 

And the winner is

• Physio Smart 

Physio Smart is a first time finalist and first-time winner. 

A physio clinic with a difference, looking at the entire body as a single system when trying to understand what is causing you concern, a process known as a Functional Movement Assessment. 

Director Matt Heavyside is one of the first Australians accredited in Functional Movement Assessment. 

The team also work closely with a number of community groups/sporting clubs. 

Best Fashion Retailer

The finalists are:

• Boutique Mon Ami
• Exurbia 

And the winner is

• Boutique Mon Ami 

This is the second year in a row Boutique Mon Ami has won this category. 

Boutique Mon Ami opened its Glynde store in 1995, following its first store in Newton which opened in 1974!

Specialising in beautiful formal wear, mother of the bride/groom wear plus an extensive everyday wear range. 

The staff spend the time with the customer to ensure they are happy with what they are wearing.

Best Food / Beverage Manufacturer

The finalists are:

• Chile Mojo
• Prove Patisserie
• Reform Distilling 

And the winner is

• Prove Patisserie 

Prove Patisserie is a first time finalist and first-time winner. 

Recently made the move from the western suburbs to Magill Road and are making a big impact in the local and wider community, stocking pastries in about 34 businesses across metropolitan Adelaide. 

Most recently the team contributed to hugely successful the AFL Gather Round weekend. 

Best Hair / Beauty Salon

The finalists are:

• Cozy Hair Beauty Salon
• Maros Hair & Beauty
• Untangled Hairstylists 

And the winner is

• Marros Hair & Beauty 

Nominated back in 2022 but this is Marros Hair & Beauty first time as a winner. 

The business recently moved to The Parade after 38 years in the Firle Shopping Centre. 

Marros Hair & Beauty focus on being up-to-date with all the latest hair and beauty trends and technology and their passionate staff ensure the experience is one to remember!

Best Independent Small Business

The finalists are:

• Chile Mojo
• JAKS Hire & Events
• Tito Pignetti – Training & Consulting 

And the winner is

• Tito Pignetti – Training & Consulting

With more than 20 years’ experience and a focus on training health care practitioners,  Tito Pignetti – Training & Consulting used manual hands-on techniques to ensure clients get better health outcomes.

The training and consulting business trains practitioners here in Adelaide as well as nationally and internationally. 

Best Professional Service

The finalists are:

• Bambrick Legal
• Physio Smart
• Tito Pignetti – Training & Consulting

And the winner is

• Physio Smart 

Best Pub / Bar

The finalists are:

• Reform Distilling
• Rising Sun Inn
• The Colonist 

And the winner is

• Rising Sun Inn 

This is the third time nominated, first-time winner for the Rising Sun Inn which first opened in 1846 making it one of the oldest establishments in South Australia.

It has an incredibly colourful and interesting history and a stunning menu and wine list.

--------------- 

A round of applause for our winners and congratulations to our finalists.

 

And now for the Hall of Fame category. 

Businesses nominated in this category have been operating in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters for more than 20 years. 

I’d like to firstly congratulate all the businesses that were nominated. 

Thank you for your ongoing contribution to City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters. 

I look forward to seeing all of your businesses grow and flourish over the next 12 months. 

Now for the highly coveted Hall of Fame Award. 

The inductee for the 2024 Hall of Fame Eastside Business Award is: 

Chile Mojo 

First opened on The Parade in 2004 before moving to 381 Magill Road St Morris in 2009. 

Owners Joel and Morgen then moved the business to 395 Magill Road St Morris in 2014 which is where they can be found today. 

20 Years of continuous operation in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters was achieved this year. 

Chile Mojo has won the Eastside Business Award category of Best Independent Business (in 2018 & 2019) as well as being a finalist on three other occasions. 

Some of the comments from those that voted for them:

• They cheerfully provide ingredients I can't find anywhere else. Their selection of products is wide and exciting. There are fun gift items as well as pantry essentials for Mexican cuisine. 

• Best Mexican shop in Australia by far. Great customer service and experience owners are amazing people. Great shop and great vibe. Can't recommend Chile mojo enough and love taking my friends there. 

• A truly unique store in all of Adelaide and has always been there, through my journey with learning to cook Mexican food, grow chillies and acquire a serious taste for hot sauces. The owner is groovy and really knows his stuff.  A real labour of love, and you can feel it every moment you spend in the store.  We have friends who moved interstate and overseas decades ago, and Chile Mojo is always a must-do every time they visit Adelaide.

I would like to welcome Joel and Morgen from Chile Mojo onto the stage to accept the award and say a few words. 

Legends Awards

Historical Legend = Little Bang Brewing Company 

• Three-time winner of the Best Pub / Bar Category (2018, 2019 & 2020) 
• Business started by friends, Fil and Ryan in Fil’s garage with a very simple brew kit
• Grew in size and popularity and opened in Union Street in Stepney before again growing and needing to move to their current Henry Street Stepney location
• Little Bang Brewing Company was acquired by one of South Australia’s largest and most-renowned pub groups , the Duxton Pub Group in 2022
• Extensive tap and takeaway offering
• An inaugural member of the Eastside Wine & Ale Trail
• Key host venue of the annual Raising the Bar event

Historical Legend = Shouz Boutique

• Three-time winner of the Best Fashion Retailer category (2019, 2020 & 2021)
• Family run business (Annette and her daughter Kate) that has been operating for over 40 years at various locations
• Business has grown to now include stores in Hyde Park, Burnside Village, Mitcham Square and of course The Parade, Norwood
• Their personal touch at every level is what sets them apart from others, with the store operated by women for women

On the Night Legend = Mary MacKillop Museum

On the Night Legend = Cheeky Grin Coffee

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Thank you to Eamonn Vereker Glass Studio and The Engraving Crew for creating the unique hand-crafted Hall of Fame trophy and the engraving of it. 

Thank you to JAKS Hire, Stepney for the styling, Indulgence Food Design, Stepney for the wonderful meal and our drinks providers, Little Bang Brewery, Heartland Wines and Lambrook Wines, all from the Eastside Wine & Ale Trail.

Thank you again to Solstice Media and AFM Services for partnering with the Council to deliver these awards. 

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the formalities for this evening. 

If the winners can all join me on stage for a photo and I encourage you all to come up to take a photo before you leave. 

Thank you again and good night! 

25 April 2024: Norwood Soldiers Memorial, Osmond Terrace - Norwood

Today, on the 109th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, we gather at this Soldier’s Memorial in Norwood to remember the sacrifice of the Diggers who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, and the servicemen and servicewomen who died in all subsequent conflicts. 

August, 1914.

For more than a decade the continent has inched closer to war.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia, on 28 June 1914 set the great powers of Europe on what appeared to be an irresistible collision course. 

Military alliances were invoked, diplomatic cables flowed back and forth, ultimatums were issues and ignored, armies were mobilised.

In her book, The Guns of August, Barbara Tauchman captured the tension-filled days.

“War pressed against every frontier. Suddenly dismayed, governments struggled and twisted to fend it off. It was no use.”

Tauchman continued: “Appalled and on the brink, the chiefs of state who would actually be responsible for their country’s fate attempted to back away but the pill of military scheduled dragged them forward.”

One month after entering the war, Prime Minister Andrew Fisher pledged Australia would “stand beside the mother country to help and defend her to the last man and the last schilling.”

The Spring of 1914 would take the flower of Australia’s youth and transport them to what the London Economist described at the time “as perhaps the greatest tragedy in human history.”

Before long, neighbours joined neighbours, brothers joined brothers and mates joined mates in the Australian Imperial Force.

Young, happy, healthy men - full of adventure, their lives before them.

After more than four years of bloody fighting, thousands of Australians who responded to the call to arms for God and country, were brought back to their country in God’s arms.

With their passing went hopes and dreams of a generation.

Among the more than 60,000 Australians who fell was William Roger Kempster, a mason from Norwood.

Kempster was born on 21 March 1882 near Red Hill in South Australia and attend Magill Public School.

He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 6 September 1915, nearly five months after the Gallipoli landing, and was assigned to the 48^th Infantry Battalion along with his brother Ernest, a butcher, who enlisted only two weeks earlier. 

Two other brothers, Clarence, a tiler and and Allen, a labourer, who lived in Wall Street, Norwood, also served on the AIF.

The four brothers all enlisted within one the space of a month.

Clarence, the youngest, was only 19 at the time of embarkation from Melbourne on 20 May 1916.

Kempster’s enlistment papers stated he was a widower with two dependant children.

According to the Examining Medical Officer, William “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service”. (source:https://memories.net/timeline/williamroger-kempster-83779)

Kempster’s next of kin were his father, Mr Charles Kempster, who lived in Eastry Street, Norwood and his mother, Mrs Christina Kempster who lived in Bishops Place, Kensington before she moved to 86 King William Street, Kent Town.

On 30 August 1918 – only 10 weeks before the guns fell silent on the Western Front - Kempster, then aged 36,was killed in action in France.  

He was the only one of his brothers in uniform who made the supreme sacrifice. 

Kempster is buried in the Tincourt British Cemetery, in Tincourt, Picardie, France. 

At 5.30am this ANZAC Day morning the name of William Roger Kempster will be projected on the Hall of Memory, at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, a reminder to the nation of his sacrifice. 

At dawn this morning here in Norwood, just as it has for the past 101 years, the name of William Roger Kempster could be seen on the Soldier’s Memorial, a reminder to our community of his sacrifice. 

We dedicate this Dawn Service to him and his bothers and sisters in arms. 

After the guns fell silent, the famous war correspondent, Charles Beane, wrote this about those who served: 

“They’re not heroes. They do not intend to be thought or spoken of as heroes. They’re just ordinary Australians, doing their particular work as their country would wish them to do it. And pray God, Australians in the days to come will be worthy of them” 

While many book and articles have been written about the ANZACs since the Great War, one feels that today there are no words  to adequately describe the suffering and sacrifice of those who fought and died for their country. 

Perhaps today is not a day for words as much as it is a time for reflection. 

A time to remember. 

And a time to give thanks to those ordinary Australians who served our country in extraordinary times and gave up their tomorrows so we can live today. 

Lest we forget. 

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Robert Bria.  I am the Mayor of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.

Welcome to St Peters Street for the 2024 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony. 

I would like to invite Uncle Tamaru to perform the official Welcome to Country.

Uncle Tamaru performs Welcome to Country 

I would like to acknowledge and welcome my fellow Elected Members:

• John Callisto
• Claire Clutterham
• Kevin Duke
• Hugh Holfeld
• Garry Knoblauch
• Victoria McFarlane
• Christel Mex
• Kester Moorhouse
• Grant Piggott, and
• Sue Whitington. 

A warm welcome also to:

• Hon Reggie Martin MLC
• Senator Marielle Smith
• Mr James Stevens MP, Federal Member for Sturt

Welcome to Council staff who are present here today, in particular the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mario Barone PSM and I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our Australia Day Ambassador, Mr Mark Le Messurier. 

We’ll hear from Mark shortly. 

And I am excited to welcome the Vocal Hub Collective, who will perform three songs for us this morning.  

Finally, congratulations and welcome to 40 very special people who will become Australian citizens today. 

Uncle Tamaru performs Welcome to Country

We have just had the privilege of listening to Uncle Tamaru, Kaurna Elder, deliver the official Welcome to Country.

Uncle Tamaru, thank you for the privilege of sharing your culture and history with us and inviting us to walk alongside you on the land of your ancestors.

We recognise that for some Australians – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – the 26^th of January is a difficult day. 

I am sure there will be many conversations about the meaning and symbolism about this day, just as there has been on previous years. 

While opinions may differ, we all share the responsibility to uphold the democratic values of Australia which allows us to have that conversation to voice our differences. 

Because the voice of every Australian is entitled to be heard, and the view of every Australian deserves to be respected.

While our past may have taken different paths, let us resolve to work together and walk together on the same path into the future, leaning in to bend the arc of history towards a more reconciled Australia.

An Australia where the ancient history of our aboriginal people sits alongside the contemporary history of Australians from many nations. 

Ours is an imperfect nation, and the Australian story has chapters that make for difficult reading.

And yet, in so many pages we find inspiration from the selfless deeds and heroics among its 26 million plus characters - our fellow Australians.

We learned about some of those Australians last night when the Prime Minister announced the winners of the 2024 Australia Day Awards.

• Community Hero of the Year - David Elliott 
• Young Australia of the Year – ​Emma McKeon
• Senior Australian of the Year –Yalma Yunupingu​
• Australian of the Year - Professor Richard Scolyer and Professor Georgina Long​​​

We congratulate them and all other finalists for these Awards. An incredible achievement.

We also acknowledge everyone who received Australia Day Honours and thank them for their service.

And, importantly, we recognise the millions of ‘quiet’ Australians.  

You will not read their names in the newspaper, or hear their voices on the radio, nor see their faces on the television.

They are our neighbours and friends in our communities, living in suburbs and towns across our great land, going about their business quietly and efficiently, without fuss or fanfare, seeking neither recognition or reward offering help with humility.

It is on their shoulders we stand on today.

It is not by the example of their power but the power of their example that shows us the way to a better Australia. 

Among them are our Police, Ambos and Emergency Services workers, who toiled for weeks to save lives and protect property in the face of raging fires and ravaging floods in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. 

And who will put their lives on the line time and time again – truly selfless heroes.

People who responded to a crisis during Christmas when they should have been spending precious time at home with family and friends. 

Citizen of the Year Awards

LOCAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

(Cr Christel Mex to read citation)

I am delighted to now announce that the Local Citizen of the Year for 2024 is Ravi Hammond.

Ravi's contributions extend far beyond “participation”.

In addition to securing third place globally in the NASA Space Robotics Challenge, completing internships at prestigious tech giants such as Google and Microsoft, in 2020 Ravi established "Ravi's Study Program" (also known as RSP).

This annual bootcamp is designed to train programming students to excel in coding interviews, a critical hurdle when pursuing roles in prestigious tech companies. 

Within three years, 131 students, have graduated from RSP resulting in over 200 job offers from industry giants.

Ravi has had many opportunities to use his skills to pursue personal profit but instead invested his time and own funds to help and support others.

His work is a labour of love, a genuine act of community service.

Through this program, Ravi has cultivated a community of students who have thrived under his guidance, who now generously volunteer to support the program and assist other like-minded students - paying forward the help they received. 

Ravi is widely regarded as the most influential figure at the University of Adelaide, particularly in the tech realm.

Recently, Ravi has established Ravi’s Study Program as a not-for-profit charity, aiming to expand the program nationally. 

It is not just Australians who have had the privilege of accessing this program. It has been recognised across the globe from students in England, America, Pakistan, India, China, and more.

As we look to the future, Ravi embarks on his next journey to Oxford University for six months, a step towards pursuing his dream of becoming an Artificial Intelligence researcher. 

Ravi’s approach is about building confidence, community, and opportunities for real-world success for both personally and for everyone he meets.

Please join me in congratulating Ravi.

YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

(Cr Hugh Holfeld reads citation)

I am very pleased to announce that the Local Young Citizen of the Year Award goes to Abbey Wilkinson.

Abbey is an inspiring community leader, demonstrating remarkable mentorship abilities and a capacity for driving positive change.

Each year, 12 young people aged between 14 to 18, are selected to be members of the South Australian Youth Forum (SAYF). 

After the program ends, Forum members are invited to continue with the next year’s members as mentors and become part of the Executive Team. 

Abbey was selected to be a South Australian Youth Forum member in 2022 and progressed to become an Executive member and mentor for the Forum in 2023.

In 2022, Abbey contributed her passion, commitment and dedication to youth empowerment to help create, deliver and present the SA Youth Forum Annual Report.

This involved collaboration with Federal and State Ministers, Local Councils, Academics from Universities across Australia, the Commissioner for Young People and Children plus many more organisations and representatives.

Abbey helped lead the Forum in 2023 and, as such, has become a co-author for the 2023 SA Youth Forum Annual Report. 

By becoming an Executive member in 2023, Abbey has demonstrated active citizenship through mentoring the new young people selected for the Forum’s program. 

Abbey has actively collaborated with SA Power Networks as a youth representative, offering valuable insights into their Regulatory Reset 2025–2030 Plan. 

Additionally, she has contributed to the development of the Department of Human Services' new Youth Action Plan and played a pivotal role in the Uniting Communities #UnlockingLoneliness campaign.  

And she has worked with Department of Human Services (DHS) on its coercive control campaign, The See the Signs Campaign. 

In addition to Abbey’s work with the Forum, she was also elected as a Year 12 Prefect by her peers.

Overall, Abbey embodies kindness, determination, respect, and passion as a dedicated citizen and community leader. 

Despite being only 18, she remains unwavering in her commitment to amplifying the voices of young people, actively working towards ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued in decision-making arenas.

Please join me in congratulating Abbey.

COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR

(Cr Claire Clutterham to read the citation)

I am delighted to announce the Community event of the Year Award is The Kaurna Cultural Ceremony was organised by the Kensington Residents Association.

The event was held on 9 July 2023 in Borthwick Park, in Kensington along Second Creek.

Borthwick Park is located on an ancient place known as Karra Yerta and Kaurna People lived around the creek, gathering for ceremony and cultural activities for thousands of years. 

Historic sources describe the original landscape of the eastern plains as: “...a magnificent gum forest with an undergrowth of Kangaroo Grass so high that people travelling between Adelaide and Kensington lost their way.”

The purpose of the event, which attracted about 100 citizens, was to engage Kaurna leaders to collaborate with the community, in order to honour culture, language, wisdom and knowledge of country.

The event, which was guided by Kaurna Leaders, included ceremony, singing, dancing, storytelling, and cultural education around bush foods, native animals and medicinal plants. 

It encouraged people to take greater responsibility in caring for the environment and make choices in their own lives that contribute to replenishing the earth's fragile resources in small ways.

The Kaurna Cultural Ceremony helped deepen respect for each other and reinforce the importance of being part of a compassionate community in an ancient and special place. 

This event will catalyse future cultural activity and learning and demonstrate how local communities can lead and benefit from genuine, heartfelt reconciliation. 

The Borthwick Park Biodiversity Project will continue to play a critical role in regularly bringing Volunteers of all ages and the broader community together to progress future cultural and environmental activity.

It is difficult to predict the unique and ongoing value of developing a genuine and trusted relationship between the Kaurna and local communities, but it is anticipated that this event will uphold future cultural activity and learning and demonstrate how local communities can lead and benefit from genuine, heartfelt reconciliation. 

The Borthwick Park Biodiversity Project will continue to play a critical role in regularly bringing volunteers of all ages and the broader community together to progress future cultural and environmental activity. 

Please join me in congratulating the Kensington Residents Association, and welcome Ms Trish Hansen to accept the award on behalf of the association.

Australia Day Ambassador

Ladies and gentlemen, all around Australia - in ceremonies such as this, there are Australia Day Ambassadors attending to talk about what our great country means to them.

I am delighted to introduce one of these Australia Day Ambassadors - who joins us today. 

Mark Le Messurier has devoted his life to improving the self-worth, wellbeing, mental health and life outcomes of young people. 

He focuses on those he calls the ‘tough kids’ – those who are struggling in some capacity. 

After a 20-year teaching career, Mark opened a private-practice consultancy to mentor children and teenagers who needed support beyond the school system, and to coach parents. 

His goal has always been to create environments that set children and adults up for success. 

Mark’s generosity and consideration for others is profound, far reaching, and life changing. He’s helped many families and is a relatable role model and mentor.

Please join me in making Mark feel welcome.

Mark Le Messurier delivers speech

Vocal Hub Collective performance

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to introduce the Vocal Hub Collective who will perform three truly iconic Australian songs for us this morning:

• I am Australian
• Everyone’s Waiting 
• You’re the Voice 

Please join me in welcoming the Vocal Hub Collective.

Vocal Hub collective performs

Thank you so much - a magnificent performance.

We will now take a short break and come back for our Citizenship Ceremony.

Citizenship Ceremony

As much as today is a day to remember our ancient history and First Nations people, it is also a day to reflect on our modern history as a people from many nations.

Since the end of the Second World War, almost nine million migrants and refugees – the equivalent of one third of our population - have made their way to Australia.

As a child of Italian migrants who settled here in the early 1960s, today is a reminder of my own family’s migrant journey to Australia. 

For me, it is a time to give thanks to the country which gave my late mother and father the life-changing opportunity to come out of the long shadows of poverty into the bright sunshine of prosperity.

Migrants and refugees have come here not with the expectation of living the high life, but with the hope of living a full life - a living of purpose, a life of dignity and a life happiness.  

To the soon-to-be citizens, we are humbled and honoured that you have chosen Australia to be your home to spend the rest of your life, to raise your children and grandchildren, develop your talents and make a contribution to your community. 

In a few moments, you will make a simple, elegant and solemn pledge not only to this gathering, but to the rest of the nation.

It is a pledge that give you rights but also responsibilities. 

For taking this last step to join the ranks of other Australian citizens, we say a heartfelt “thank you.”

Before I ask candidates to take the pledge, it is my duty under the Citizenship Regulations (2007) to read to the following:

Australian citizenship represents full and formal membership of the community of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Australian citizenship is a common bond, involving reciprocal rights and obligations, uniting all Australians, while respecting their diversity.

Persons on whom Australian citizenship is conferred enjoy these rights and undertake to accept these obligations:

(a) By pledging loyalty to Australia and its people;

(b) By sharing their democratic beliefs;

(c) By respecting their rights and liberties; and

(d) By upholding and obeying the laws of Australia.

I now invite Senator Marielle Smith to the lectern to read a message from the Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, and then address you.

Thank you for deciding to become an Australian citizen.

Today you join a nation that is one of the world’s most successful multicultural societies, with around half of all Australians either born overseas, or with at least one parent born overseas.  

In Australia, everyone can be proud of who they are - and everyone should be respected, valued and feel a sense of belonging.   

We are privileged to share this beautiful country with the world’s oldest continuing culture. 

This is a fundamental part of who we are.    

For more than 60,000 years First Nations peoples have cared for country. 

Appreciating and understanding this truth, is a vital part of what it means to be Australian.   

Australians are united by our shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and to freedom of speech, religion and association.   

Our diversity is our greatest strength, and we prosper by embracing this.   

We believe in a society in which everyone is equal, regardless of their gender, faith, sexual orientation, age, ability, race, national or ethnic origin. 

Ours is the land of the fair go, in which respect and compassion underpin our care for each other and our willingness to reach out to those around us in times of need.    

By becoming an Australian citizen, you make a commitment to these values, and to contribute to our evolving Australian story.   

On behalf of the Australian Government, heartfelt congratulations on becoming an Australian citizen.

Thank you, 

I would ask those candidates for Citizenship who will be taking the pledge (you may choose to say the words under God), to please stand and repeat after me:

From this time forward, under God, I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people. Whose:

- Democratic beliefs I share

- Rights and liberties I respect, and 

- Whose laws I will uphold and obey

Thank you, will you please be seated.

Please join me in congratulating to our new Australian citizens.

As I call your name, will you please come forward to receive your Certificate of Citizenship and a gift.

(Presentation of certificates)

To our new Australian citizens, I am sure you will all give much to Australia and to our city, and that you will all help to ensure that our nation’s freedom, independence and multicultural values are preserved for future generations.

As Australian citizens, you now have the right to vote, to stand for public office, and to travel on an Australian passport as ambassadors for Australia. 

Your right to participate in the political process enables you to make a greater contribution to the social and economic life of this country.

I now encourage you all to stand and repeat the Affirmation to Australia after me, and then remain standing for the National Anthem of Australia to be sung by Mr Lou Pisaniello.

As an Australian citizen,

I affirm my loyalty to Australia and its people,

Whose democratic beliefs I share,

Whose rights and liberties I respect,

And whose laws I uphold and obey. 

Ladies and gentleman, if you can, will you please now be upstanding for our national anthem.

(Lou to sing National Anthem)

Thank you, Lou.

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today’s formalities.

In closing, I would like to thank:

• Uncle Taramu, Kaurna Elder;
• Hon Reggie Martin MLC;
• Senator Marielle Smith;
• Australia Day Ambassador, Mr Mark Le Messurier
• Vocal Hub Collective 
• St Peters Rotary (barbecue breakfast)
• La La Latte (coffee)
• Kirsty Mann Food & Flowers (breakfast)

And of course, the wonderful Council staff who organised today’s event.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the day.   

Good evening, everyone.

Hon Steven Marshall MP, Member for Dunstan,

Mr Adam Slater, Principal of St Joseph’s Memorial School,

Mr Franco Canil, Acting APRIM,

Father Chris Jenkins,

Teachers and Staff of St Joseph’s Memorial School,

Parents, Grandparents, caregivers, family and friends of the graduating students,

And most importantly, the Graduating Class of 2023.

Thank you again for the opportunity to be here for another Year 6 Graduation Dinner and celebration.

I want to thank Acting APRIM Franco Canil for the kind invitation to what is undoubtedly a highlight of the school year.

In the normal course of events, I come to the St Joseph’s Memorial School Year 6 Graduation Dinner in my capacity as mayor.

However, tonight is the second and the last time I am also here in my capacity as a parent of a graduating student – the first time being for my son, Christian, in 2019 and tonight it is for Charlotte. 

As far as emotions go, let me tell you it is much easier just speaking as the mayor!

We have come here tonight to celebrate our beautiful children, the Graduating Class of 2023.

We have come here tonight to mark the end of one chapter in their young lives and walk with them into the next chapter - that being secondary school.

I am sure for many of us when we woke up this morning and realised this significance of today, our thoughts were of our children as babies. 

Back then, their graduation from primary school seemed like an eternity away.

And yet, here we are. 

Where has the time gone?

To all of the parents and caregivers here tonight, I want to say that I understand the many emotions you are experiencing right now: joy, sadness, pride, excitement and yes, perhaps even relief.

But, you should all be very proud of your children and all they have accomplished to date.  

In Omnibus Caritas: In all things love.

St Joseph’s Memorial School is not only a place that teaches the importance of a love of learning, but also the importance of learning to love.

Guided by the example of Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop, our children have learned to love each other and importantly themselves, as young people - made in the image of God - all worthy of affection, attention, inspiration and of course, an education.   

How proud she would be of them right now. 

As students of this school they are part of the wonderful tradition of learning she established 151 years ago. 

That is why St Joseph’s is such a special place, because it respects children and their right to be children. 

But, St Joseph’s is not just a place to learn the skills of maths and English, it is also a place to help children learn skills for life; respect for others, working as a team, helping friends and embracing diversity. 

To the graduating students, the motto for the school is the foundation upon which you can build your future. 

It is faith, learning and community that have helped you become the unique and beautiful young people you are.

You are children that your parents love.

You are students this school is proud to call its own.

And, you are young citizens your local community, your state, your country and indeed the world is waiting for to lead it in the future.

To all the teachers, congratulations and thank you for the important role you have played in developing these healthy bodies, enquiring minds and spiritual souls. 

To borrow a phrase from Harry Edwards, thank you for teaching our children to dream with their eyes open.

To Chris Heaney, the Year 6 teacher this year, thank you for everything you have done to prepare our children to take the next step in their lives.

As we reflect on their primary school years, we know St Joseph’s is only the first step in our children’s long journey.

And what a journey it has been.

We can’t wait to see what that future brings.

It is an exciting future of hope and possibilities that is only limited by your imagination and your desire to succeed. 

And as much as we will continue to walk alongside you, in the years ahead you will discover one day that you are walking alone.

This is not because we have abandoned you. 

No, it is because we want to see how far you can you without us. And, you will go far!

And now, if you will indulge me.

For 15 years St Joseph’s Memorial School has been a part of my family’s life.

Just as Charlotte and her classmates are saying goodbye, so too is the Bria family.

Like all parents embarking our children’s learning journey, Pina and I were nervous about sending our children to this school.

But we have no regrets. 

We leave with full hearts, knowing our children were taught by great teachers who genuinely care and made wonderful friendships along the way, many of which I know will continue for many years.

We also know that St Joseph’s Memorial School has given us much more than we have given it.

And so, from me, Pina, Isabella, Christian and Charlotte we say, “thank you for the memories.”

Almost fifty years ago, the English singer Cat Stevens, known today as Yusuf Islam, wrote a song called ‘Remember the days of the old schoolyard.’

The opening verse of the song goes like this:

Remember the days of the old schoolyard
We used to laugh a lot, oh don't you?
Remember the days of the old schoolyard
When we had imaginings and we had
All kinds of things and we laughed
And needed love, yes, I do
Oh and I remember you.

This iconic song is an adult’s fond recollection of their cherished  schooldays, and most importantly, of the people they shared those precious days with.

To the Graduating Class of 2023.

I hope that when you walked out the gates of St Joseph’s for the final time as students, you left with your school bag full of memories. 

Days when you shared so much time with other children.

I hope you remember the days of sport and sausage sizzles, days of events and excursions.

I hope you remember the days of art and algebra, and of course, days of love and laughter. 

And in 10, 20, or even 50 years time, when you see an old class-mate, I hope that your first words are: “I remember you.”  

Goodbye.

Good Luck.

And, God Bless.

In preparing my Valedictory remarks for tonight, I reflected on the past 12 months and all that has been achieved in what has been a period of change and renewal.

Firstly, I want to thank and congratulate Councillors Clutterham, Holfeld, McFarlane, Piggott and Robinson for your efforts in your first 12 months as Elected Members of this Council.

The first year after an election can be difficult; understanding Meeting Procedures, Induction training, constant meetings and establishing relationships with your fellow Elected Members and Council staff can take time.

At the Swearing-in ceremony just over a year ago, I said I looked forward “to your energy and enthusiasm to bring fresh ideas to the Council Chamber.”

All of you have provided that and I sincerely thank you.

I also advised the returning Members that I would look to them to “help me provide the leadership, support and guidance that is needed to continue having a cohesive and functioning Council”.

All of you have done that and I thank you, as well.

Combined, your energy, enthusiasm, support and guidance have contributed to us operating as a cohesive and functioning Council.

While I will never claim this Council is perfect, I want to say how proud I am that we have stayed ‘above the fray’ and not succumbed to the temptation of copy-cat behaviour regarding what I consider to be the self-indulgent, destructive and juvenile antics by some Elected Members in other Councils by introducing ‘culture war’ debates on issues about flags, prayers, the Voice Referendum, the Kaurna Acknowledgment and when to hold Australia Day celebrations, not to mention where portraits are hung and propagating ridiculous conspiracy theories.

In my opinion, those debates and the associated media coverage have done enormous damage to the sector, and only serves to undermine Local Government’s claim as a responsible, trusted and respected sphere of government.

However, as I have said on many occasions, we are only one decision away from a bad headline.

In that regard, we should always be prepared to hit the ‘Pause’ button, hold a mirror up to ourselves, take time for some self-reflection and ask ourselves and each other, if our words and actions are consistent not only with the values of the organisation but also with the priorities of the people whom we have the honour to serve.

I believe that over the past year we have been focused on our community and have made an excellent start to a new Council term with many achievements to celebrate and be proud of, including:

• Australia Day celebrations held on Australia Day;
• Summer Concert Series and St Peters Fair;
• Two matches at Norwood Oval as part of 2023 AFL Gather Round, which injected millions into the local economy;
• 6^th Eastside Business Awards with a record number of nominations (11,062);
• 0% rate (average) increase – almost half the inflation rate at the time and one of the lowest increase of any metropolitan Council, together with a projected surplus of $1.37m;
• record expenditure in infrastructure renewal - $13m (roads, footpaths, kerbs and water tables and road reseals);
• five (5) Citizenship Ceremonies, which saw 183 people naturalised as Australian Citizens;
• work starting on a new facility at Cruikshank Reserve, Maylands;
• the redevelopment of Dunstan Adventure Playground, St Peters (now completed);
• next stage of the program along the River Torrens Linear Park to widen pathways for pedestrian and cyclists;
• work starting on the $20million Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Project;
• record 660 trees planted – two thirds of them planted in suburbs with the lowest percentage of tree canopy coverage as identified in the Tree Strategy (2022-2027);
• almost 1,000 people attending ‘Raising the Bar’ events across the city;
• completion of the 2023 bi-ennial Community Survey;
• Christmas Pageant attended by an at least 15,000 locals and visitors;
• celebration of National Volunteers Week for our Council-registered Volunteers with a barbecue lunch in May and annual Volunteers Christmas Dinner by attended by about 250 people last month;
• adoption of an Access & Inclusion Strategy;
• development of our first-ever Volunteering Strategy
• update of CityPlan 2030; and
• hopefully next week the redevelopment of Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

This is only a small sample what we have achieved, but more importantly, they are examples of what we can achieve together when we work as a team, because Together Everyone Achieves More!

Take Gather Round, an idea the Council quickly jumped on at the last meeting of the previous Council term. 

We put our hand up to say we were interested in hosting matches, we committed funding to invest in infrastructure at Norwood Oval, we acted professionally and exercised great agility and flexibility in our negotiations with multiple parties, and we got two matches.

The results are there for all to see.

Not only millions of dollars injected into the local economy but the development of a strong and trusting working relationship with the AFL, national exposure for our city for a week and now, after six months of negotiations, a return of two matches for next year’s edition of Gather Round.

If this isn’t an example of leadership and vision on the part of the Council I don’t know what is?

This is what Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council is known for; seizing opportunities as they arise, taking calculated risks and continually looking for comparative and competitive advantages to set us apart from other Councils, including Councils in the eastern region, as a model Local Government Authority.

Yes, taking advantage of these opportunities can cost money and I acknowledge that sometimes the budget bottom line can take a hit.

But, as the LGA President Dean Johnson said at the recent LGA Annual General Meeting, “Local Government is much more than dollars and cents on a spreadsheet.”

At is core, Local Government is about improving the quality of life of communities.

It therefore makes no sense for us to sit back, play it safe and choose the easy option of doing nothing out of fear we will make a mistake or to avoid criticism by our community or the media for spending money.

Ratepayers work hard for their money to contribute to the Council Budget, so it is only fair that in return the Council ensures the money in the budget works hard for ratepayers.

With this in mind, we should look at this year as the beginning of our success, not the end.

However, it will be our action over the next three years that will determine whether this is will be our best term on Council or whether it will be our last.

To quote Conrad Hilton, “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”

This will require courage, conviction and confidence in our decision-making.

It also means always putting the interests of the wider community before the self-interest of a few, regardless of their status, wealth, power or influence - real or perceived. 

In closing, I want to thank all Elected Members for supporting me and representing me at various community events and functions over the past twelve months.

I hope you have enjoyed the opportunity to get out into the community on behalf of the Council.

More importantly, I want to thank you all for supporting each other, which I believe is helping to foster a wonderful esprit de corps.

On behalf of all Elected Members, I want to thank the Executive Leadership Team, led by the Chief Executive Officer.

Every year is a challenge, but this year was even more so. Organisational changes, combined with a tight labour market, and high staff turnover contributed to additional layers of complexity in an already dynamic and stressful environment. 

Nevertheless, it is clear there is a fresh breeze is blowing through the Town Hall and another new season of success and excitement is around the corner.   

I also want to thank and congratulate every other staff member who, every day, demonstrate commitment and professionalism in performing their tasks and wear the values of the organisation on their sleeve. 

Thanks also to the more than 200 Council Volunteers who selflessly give their time, skills, knowledge and compassion to others in our community. By lending a hand they are making our community a better place and ensuring the lonely and isolated stay connected and are valued as residents of our city.   

I also want to thank the Independent Members of the Council Assessment Panel, Audit & Risk Committee, Road Safety and Traffic Management Committee, Norwood Parade Precinct Committee, Business & Economic Development Advisory Committee and East Waste Audit Committee for their contribution to our City. We are fortunate to be able to draw on their enormous experience, skills and passion.

And finally, a big “thank you” to the residents and business community of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.

Their feedback, complaints, suggestions, engagement in consultation processes, attendance at community events, interactions with staff and Elected Members is critical to local democracy working and holding us - their elected representatives - to account to make our city a better, fairer and more inclusive place to live, work and play. 

From my family to yours, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.