Local News

The 9pm fireworks display at Ford Park, Yamba, drew a large crowd. Image: Lynne Mowbray.

Family and friends feature prominently in New Year’s resolutions for 2021

Emma Pritchard While 2020 has gone, Australians are looking forward to a better and brighter 2021. Many Clarence Valley residents are choosing to focus on achieving personal goals, growing their finances, investing in their future and trying to move on from the unprecedented times and challenges last year presented. Grafton local Sharni Cooper said while she has never written a New Year’s Resolutions list, she has made plenty of promises to herself about things she wants to do every time a new year begins. This year, the 26-year-old is determined to work hard and gain new qualifications before she heads to university in 2022. “I’d really like to get an arts degree, so this year I’m planning to study creative courses online to help boost my references and get some extra credit,” she revealed. “Ultimately, I’d love to work in interior or creative design so I’ve decided to put my savings towards studying this year so I can work towards my dream career. “2020 was a tough year for a lot of people and I think it’s important to work towards the future because nothing is certain, I think last year taught us that, and planning ahead is really important. “I’m also planning to spend as much time as I can with my parents who live in Toowoomba because I was only able to visit them once last year and I hated not being able to see them.” Other Clarence Valley residents including Yamba locals Freyah Clarke and Samantha-Lee Hawkins said while some of their New Year’s resolutions include the more commonly listed points such as exercising more, eating healthier foods and quitting smoking, the local women said 2020 had taught them to focus on more important matters such as spending quality time with family and friends. “We’re definitely planning to visit our families as much as possible this year,” Ms Clarke said. “We both have cousins and grandparents living in Brisbane and it was really sad that we couldn’t see them much last year because of the border closures and FaceTime and Zoom aren’t the same as seeing them in person.” “I think a lot of people will make families and friends priorities on their New Year resolutions lists this year,” Miss Hawkins added. “But you shouldn’t have to have a New Year resolutions list to want to spend time with your family and friends. “You should see them every chance you get.”