Moorabool News The
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Tuesday 26 January, 2021
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Vol 15 No 3
Citizen of the Year By Helen Tatchell His business shutdown virtually overnight as COVID hit, he had no income, a young family on the outskirts of Ballan and, he has now become Moorabool’s Citizen of the Year (Australia Day) for 2021. Meet Dave Nickels. If you owned a travel agency as the COVID pandemic took hold, well, the planes virtually fell out of the sky, businesses crumbled, and people were left stranded in foreign countries. But Dave Nickels got on with life and decided he would help others, despite no income and the doors closed on his business, Cartier World Travel. He said the idea ignited after one of their clients called for help. “She was very wary of going out of her house and asked if we could pick up her medication and drop it off; this snow balled to more and more locals needing assistance. We then formalised the service, advertised in the Moorabool News, hospital, social media and flyers throughout Ballan businesses. It also spread to Bacchus Marsh, Greendale, Gordon and Mt Egerton,” he said. Moorabool Mayor Tom Sullivan phoned Mr Nickels as the bearer of good news. “I didn’t expect nor want any recognition however, I was very surprised and humbled,” he said. “To be recognised in this manner is very, very special indeed.” Mr Nickels said he believes there are hundreds of people in the Shire that are worthy of the Citizen of the Year award. “The meals on wheels volunteers, CFA volunteers, scout leaders, football coaches and the like.” He said there was an immediate need to help the elderly, frail and vulnerable of Moorabool during the COVID shutdown and restrictions. “The need to ensure people had their medication, attended their medical appointments in Ballarat and Melbourne. Food deliveries when we offered, was overwhelming, we had to help.” Many of the people they have assisted provided cards, cakes or just a phone call of thanks. From March through to Christmas Eve they remained doing deliveries and transferring town folk to medical appointments. “This escalated to the point on some days we had two vehicles on the road,” Mr Nickels said. Moorabool is a diverse group of communities and Mr Nickels said, “these communicates are made up of people, and the people of Moorabool, luckily, still have the country approach to life”. “Citizen of the Year is humbling; it underlines the spirit of where we live,” Mr Nickels said. “Working and living in Moorabool is fantastic, the spirit, outlook and friendliness of the people makes for a “real country approach” to life.”
BALLAN TAKES THE HAT TRICK Recipients in the main categories being honoured: • Citizen of the Year – David Nickels (Mt Egerton) • Young Citizen of the Year – Keeley Johnson (Ballan) • Community Event of the Year – Ballan WinterKnits The award recipients will be formally recognised at the Australia Day 2021 Awards held at the Public Hall, Main Street, Bacchus Marsh on Tuesday 26 January 2021, commencing at 9.30am, or can we viewed online. Dave Nickels is the Australia Day Citizen of the Year for Moorabool in 2021. Photo – Helen Tatchell
Steve McGhie MP
Wishing all our students a wonderful start for a new school year Stephen McGhie MP State Member for Melton 3 Alexandra Street, Melton VIC 3337 P: 9743 9825
Authorised by S McGhie, 3 Alexandra Street, Melton. Funded from Parliamentary budget.
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