Council has decided to discontinue the Shire of Harvey Homegrown Heroes Awards following a review of the program.
The review found nomination numbers had declined in recent years and that there was increasing overlap with other volunteer recognition programs.
The 2026 Homegrown Heroes recipients will be celebrated alongside the Community Citizen of the Year Award recipients at a local Australia Day Breakfast in 2027.
At the 23 June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting, Council also endorsed a new approach for recognising recipients of the Freeman of the Shire Award. Under the revised Honours and Awards Policy, the Shire will celebrate future recipients at a dedicated civic ceremony.
The Shire will continue to encourage nominations for the Community Citizen of the Year Awards, ensuring the volunteers and community members who help make the Harvey Region a fantastic place to live continue to be celebrated.
