THE future of our society depends on all residents embracing multiculturalism, according to mayor Paul Maytom.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Councillor Maytom used his annual Australia Day address to call on the community to join together and welcome, support and embrace all cultures, including our first Australians.
“We’re fortunate to live in a shire that celebrates multiculturalism, but sometimes we need a reminder to be more empathetic towards the diverse cultures we share this country with,” he lamented.
“The theme of Australia Day this year is ‘Everyone, Every Story’.
“Everyone has a different story, so why not use today to discover someone else’s.
“To me Australia Day is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate our society and community, which is enriched by diverse cultures, languages, customs, immigrants and refugees who have come here from all parts of the globe.
“They’ve joined with us in the common bond of citizenship that unites us all. I believe the Leeton community is among the nation’s leaders when it comes to embracing refugees and immigrants while maintaining a harmonic balance.”
Crowds at the Australia Day ceremony seemed slightly down, possibly due to the various events happening in town.
Kicking off the day was barbecue breakfasts in Yanco, Murrami and Leeton, with six-a-side cricket getting underway early at the town ovals. Leeton Australia Day Committee chairman George Weston was hopeful residents would use the day to celebrate however they felt appropriate.
“We have shown Australia is a great country … we also show friendship and camaraderie with each other,” he said. “You do recognise when watching the nightly news we don’t the division, the regimes, the terror that other countries have.
“We are a friendly and giving community. Today we’ve seen the many individuals and community groups which help us all to live in a safe and rewarding community.”
