The Clarence Valley Citizen of the Year Award 2024 and council’s Australian Citizenship ceremony will be held in Yamba on January 25, with Cr Debrah Novak nominated as council’s representative.

Every year the Citizen of the Year and Citizenship ceremony alternate between being held in Grafton or Yamba, and the 2023 event was held at the Grafton District Services Club.

At the September council meeting councillors unanimously voted to endorse the Clarence Valley Citizens of the Year Awards and Australian Citizenship Ceremony to be held as a combined event on 25 January at 10am in Yamba.

Part two of the motion saw council endorse October 2 as the date nominations open for the award and nominations close on 24 November, with a selection panel meeting to be held on December 7.

Cr Karen Toms was nominated by Mayor Peter Johnstone to represent council, but when Cr Novak also nominated to attend, Cr Toms withdrew her nomination.

A location for the ceremony is still to be advised.