National Australia Day Council Annual Report

Transcription

1 National Australia Day Council Annual Report

2 National Australia Day Council Limited 2015 National Australia Day Council Limited Old Parliament House King George Terrace Parkes ACT 2600 Telephone: Facsimile: ACN ABN The National Australia Day Council is generously supported by the Australian Government

3 Contents Chair s Message 4 Board of Directors 6 CEO s Report 8 Charter 10 Australia Day 13 Australian of the Year Awards 23 Recipients of the Australian of the Year Awards Corporate Services 28 Partners 30 Staff 31 Contents NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Australia Day National Network 32 Directors Report 34 Auditor s Independence Declaration 41 Independent Auditor s Report 42 Financial Report 46 Statutory Financial Statements 47 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income for the year ended 30 June Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended 30 June Statement of Cashflows for the year ended 30 June Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June Sponsors and Partners 62 3

4 Chair s Message Chair s Message NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Every day in Australia is special but there is something extra special about our national day Australia Day, 26 January. It is a day that provides the impetus for us to celebrate our large and diverse community and the freedoms we all enjoy, living in this great country. Just as I did in my military career, as the Chair of the National Australia Day Council (NADC) I take great pride in being Australian and serving this wonderful nation to make it an even better place. The NADC fosters meaning in Australia Day through national events and our flagship program, the Australian of the Year Awards, which bring to the fore each year the stories of truly inspirational Australians. It gave me particular pride, in my first year as Chair, to have overseen the selection of four remarkable women as our 2015 Australians of the Year a historic first. It was such a special moment standing alongside the Prime Minister as he announced our Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, Young Australian of the Year Drisana Levitzke-Gray, Senior Australian of the Year Jackie French and Australia s Local Hero Juliette Wright as our 2015 recipients. All four have worked tirelessly for their important causes and literally haven t stopped since receiving their Awards. The Australian of the Year Awards carry a proud tradition going back to 1960 and it is my goal to engage with more Australians especially younger Australians to increase the number of nominations every year, and through the Awards to recognise many more role models in our community. I encourage each and every Australian to consider nominating someone they admire for this most prestigious national honour. Similarly, my vision is for Australia Day to continue to grow, as a day that brings our nation together like no other. Australia Day is the biggest annual event in Australia with an estimated five million people attending organised events each year. Even more Australians choose to celebrate the occasion at less formal events, spending time with family and friends. Our mantra is to celebrate what s great about Australia every day of the year and to celebrate the day your way on 26 January. Our latest research paints a very positive picture*: 93 per cent of Australians named Australia Day as the most significant day on the national calendar 81 per cent of Australians believe Australia Day events are important to demonstrate pride in our country 65 per cent of Australians actively celebrated Australia Day in 2015 The NADC remains respectful of the challenges the date 26 January creates for some in our community and on this day, as with every other, we will strive to play a respectful and positive role in advancing reconciliation through our Reconciliation Action Plan. I have enjoyed meeting with our network colleagues from the state and territories and thank them for their ongoing commitment to the promotion and celebration of our national day. 4

5 On behalf of the NADC, I thank our state and territory colleagues, our corporate sponsors and supporters, and the Australian Government for their enthusiastic support of the work we do inspiring national pride and spirit. I would personally like to thank the Prime Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott, MP, for giving me the opportunity to take on this important role and for his continuing support of our important mission. In 2015 we farewelled outgoing Board members, Carol Schwartz AM, Professor Ian Frazer AC and Dr Tim Soutphommasane, at the conclusion of their terms. I thank them all for the invaluable contribution they have made to our organisation. I thank all my fellow board members and the NADC staff for warmly welcoming me to the Chair s role and for their continuing commitment and support. I look forward to another successful Australian of the Year Awards for 2016 and in joining in the national celebrations for Australia Day on 26 January next year. Chair s Message NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG Chairman *Research conducted by Instinct and Reason (2014) 5

6 Board of Directors Board of Directors NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Board of Directors as at 30 June 2015 Mr Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG Chairman General Manager, Seven Queensland Ms Robbie Sefton Deputy Chair Director, Sefton & Associates Ms Janet Whiting AM Chair-Audit Committee Partner, Gilbert & Tobin Mr Jason Glanville Chairman Australian Indigenous Governance Institute Ms Elizabeth Kelly Deputy Secretary, Governance Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Professor Samina Yasmeen AM Director Centre for Muslim States and Societies University of Western Australia Mr Norman Schueler OAM Director Normetals PTY Ltd 6

7 NADC Board Members with Prime Minister, The Hon, Tony Abbott MP. Paul Kelly on stage at the Australia Celebrates Live concert following the 2015 Australian of the Year Awards announcement. 7

8 Chief Executive Officer s Report Chief Executive Officer s Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Every year millions of Australians come together on 26 January in gatherings large and small to celebrate our national day. The mission of the National Australia Day Council (NADC) is to inspire national pride and spirit to enrich the life of all Australians and there is no better time to do this than on Australia Day. We are able to achieve this only with the support of our Australia Day National Network of eight state and territory Australia Day Councils and Committees and the hundreds of local Australia Day organisations around the country. A national survey of the Australian of the Year Awards, conducted in May 2015, again showed how highly-regarded they are, remaining the most pre-eminent Awards in the nation. The 2015 Australian of the Year Awards created history with the Prime Minister announcing four female recipients a first in the 55 year history of our nation s most prestigious Awards. In another first, each of our eight state and territory finalists in the Awards were featured in a new exhibition hosted by the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. More than 80,000 people visited the display during the summertime exhibition in the national capital. A review of the Australian of the Year Awards has led to a more simplified approach to the nomination process with the aim of increasing the number of nominations for the 2016 Awards. We especially targeted younger Australians this year and to that end 200,000 Avant postcards were distributed to 1,500 venues across the nation, seeking people Worthy of our Attention. In 2015, more than ever, it is essential that we encourage our Australia Day celebrations to be both diverse and inclusive and this is encapsulated through our marketing campaign and its tagline Celebrate Your Way. Through a partnership with the National Museum of Australia (NMA) and Twitter we were able to capture tens of thousands of images, revealing exactly how our nation celebrated via #AustraliaDay on Twitter. The NADC takes seriously its role of building community capacity and in June 2015 we coordinated and delivered our fourth biennial Australia Day National Conference Coast to Coast on Queensland s Gold Coast. The conference facilitated professional development and information sharing between local event organisers from every Australian state and territory and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Our 2015 Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, delivered an inspiring keynote speech and for the first time sessions were live streamed to provide access for those unable to attend in person. We also launched an updated Australia Day Tool Kit a great resource for the local organising network which provides comprehensive and relevant information for Australia Day event organisers. The NADC, while a small organisation in size, takes great pride in what it achieves each year by working in partnership with a range of like-minded organisations. Our goal is to continue to deliver high-quality programs and events and to seek out new opportunities to extend our activities, and, in so doing, inspire pride in our nation for more of the year. 8 I thank governments at all levels who support the celebrations and the Australian of the Year Awards within their jurisdictions. I particularly acknowledge the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet which, as our host department, is enormously supportive and shares our vision for Australia Day.

9 It is also important to acknowledge our corporate partners. The Commonwealth Bank has been supporting the Australian of the Year Awards for more than 35 years and through its new Australian of the Day campaign is helping uncover the stories of more exceptional Australians. In 2015 Australia Post continued with its Australia Day Legends stamp series, highlighting our inspirational Victoria Cross recipients, and through the support of Woolworths, hundreds of Ambassadors helped lead the 26 January celebrations in communities large and small across the nation. I also thank our Board and in particular the new leadership team, our Chair, Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG and Deputy Chair, Robbie Sefton, for their leadership, drive and support for the work we do. Most importantly, I express my great appreciation to the passionate and committed staff of the NADC. We look forward to working with and for the people of Australia to continue to grow the celebration of what s great about Australia and being Australian. Jeremy Lasek Chief Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer s Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 9

10 Charter Charter NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Purpose Statement Inspire national pride and spirit to enrich the life of all Australians. Our Work Participation Unite all Australians through celebration Meaning Promote the meaning of Australia Day Recognition Acknowledge active citizenship and achievement Our Values Integrity, accountability, collaboration, excellence, trust and respect in everything we do Strategic Themes Inclusive: Actively include all Australians in recognition of the cultural, geographic and social diversity of the nation Promote civic virtue and lived citizenship Foster positive Australian identity and social cohesion Recognise the qualities and people that inspire our nation Quality Demonstrate excellence Pursue innovation Demonstrate courageous leadership Networked Facilitate community engagement and connection Play a leadership role for the state and territory network Build and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholder groups Relevance Leverage and position the brand Strive to connect with all Australians Catalyst for discussion and debate 10

11 Key Priorities Strengthening our relationships with communities and stakeholders Partnering with the State and Territory Network to achieve national outcomes Seeking new opportunities to maximise our programs and drive the brand Taking a leadership role in the public conversation about civic culture Ensuring inclusiveness in everything we do National Outcomes A successful National Australia Day celebration A successful Australian of the Year Awards A successful National Network National programs that support sponsor requirements Effective branding of our programs Charter NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Prime Minister, The Hon, Tony Abbott MP with 25 new conferees at the Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony on 26 January in Canberra. 11

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13 Australia Day The NADC works to enrich the life of all Australians through a focus on participation, meaning and recognition across our events, programs and activities for Australia Day. Australia Day is a day for all Australians to come together to celebrate what they love about being Australian and what they are proud of. In 2015, 65% of Australians actively participated in Australia Day in some way. The traditions and activities we participate in for Australia Day might be different, but we are all united on 26 January in reflecting on what we love about being Australian. Motivate and encourage all Australians to participate National advertising campaign The Australia Day Your Way advertising campaign was successfully rolled out for the second year to support Australia Day The campaign was first produced for Australia Day 2014 and focus testing that was carried out on the initial campaign found it to be successful in communicating our key messages to the target audience. Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL The key messages of the campaign are; Australia Day means something different for everyone, and it s important that all Australians do what s right for them on our national day; On 26 January, reflect on what you love about being Australian; and Share your day online through the hashtag #AustraliaDay. The campaign was developed for television, radio, digital, cinema, press, magazines and outdoor placement to ensure good free of charge placement across all media. In order to encourage active participation, the digital elements of the campaign strongly pushed the share your #AustraliaDay message. Mitchells Adcorp Alliance was appointed as the Australian Government media placement agency in mid-2014, and has managed community service (free of charge) placement for our campaign. This was the first year Mitchells managed placement of our campaign, taking over from Universal McCann. As the NADC relies on free placement for the campaign, a launch event was held at the Mitchells offices in Melbourne to seek support from major media organisations. The campaign ran from 26 December January 2015 and over this campaign period Mitchells secured the highest levels of placement ever at 4,077,952 of media value for Australia Day This is up 82% on the 2,232,626 of placement secured for Australia Day This was a truly outstanding result and allowed the NADC to reach even more people with our campaign messages. We were also able to ensure that the message was promoted to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians. The campaign targeted 25 CALD communities across the nation through LEBA Ethnic Media. Support from LEBA was particularly strong and we were able to secure an additional 88% in CALD media value compared to

14 Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Leading the Australia Day National Network The NADC works with the Australia Day National Network and with over 700 local government areas to ensure that Australia Day events around the country are appropriate and sensitive to their local communities by providing advice and resources. The NADC also provides an Australia Day toolkit, which is available on the Australia Day website for all Australia Day event organises. The toolkit provides best practice information on delivering inclusive events, including how to acknowledge traditional owners, flag protocols, and how to tailor events for a local community. Share your #AustraliaDay: Partnership with Twitter and the National Museum of Australia (NMA) To maximise engagement in the Celebrate Your Way digital campaign and to increase online participation in Australia Day, the NADC partnered with the NMA and Twitter Australia for the second year to encourage all Australians to share authentic images and reflections of their day using #AustraliaDay. The NADC, NMA and Twitter worked closely on this important digital project where a selection of tweets that included an image and used the #AustraliaDay hashtag would be part of a live curated instant exhibition by the NMA. The campaign was also extended through our shared partners Cricket Australia and Tourism Australia. A week before Australia Day, a media launch was held at the NMA. Five people who shared an image through #AustraliaDay in 2014 were chosen to participate in the event, as their images showcased the diversity of our nation and the many ways Australians choose to celebrate our national day. Singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, who used the hashtag in 2014 and was performing in concert on Australia Day 2015, also attended, to provide a level of celebrity appeal to the event. On Australia Day itself, the NMA live curated all tweets into an instant exhibition that was displayed on our website at your.australiaday.org.au and also on big screens in the NMA s Main Hall. This activity was also supported on 26 January by having Twitter mirrors, a handheld device which allows people to take a selfie which was automatically uploaded to Twitter with the hashtag, at key events for Australia Day in Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. This was a great way to involve the Australia Day National Network in the initiative. Our Very Important Tweeters created greater awareness and engagement on Australia Day, with content published to #AustraliaDay from celebrities creating new content for popular websites such as news.com.au and Buzzfeed. There was strong growth in this initiative for 2015, with more than 130,000 tweets received using #AustraliaDay, up from around 70,000 in The NADC, NMA and Twitter plan to work together again to deliver an enhanced version of the program in 2016.

15 #AustraliaDay and key statistics: More than 130,000 Tweets used #AustraliaDay Peaked at 100 Tweets per minute on Australia Day #AustraliaDay trended worldwide. It was the #1 trend in Australia and the UK The National Museum of Australia curated over 4,000 of these Tweets into the live online exhibition Over the course of the #AustraliaDay campaign, our Twitter grew more than three times the usual follower rate. Australia Day Ambassador Program The Australia Day Ambassador Program sends high achieving Australians to communities across the nation on 26 January to add extra interest and excitement to local events. On 26 January 2015, 393 Australia Day Ambassadors attended events in 403 communities around the country. The role they played was tailored to the community they were visiting, so that all Ambassadors participated in a way that was right for the area they were in. The program is a central part of our nation s Australia Day celebrations, especially to those regional and remote communities which really benefit from having an Ambassador celebrate with their community. Woolworths has been the sponsor of the program for 14 years. Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL The program maintained its emphasis on stronger grassroots engagement and exposure of the major sponsor, Woolworths. The program was mentioned in a total of 1,675 press, radio and television reports. This coverage had an overall advertising space rate of 3,009,607 which is an increase of 11.5% from The NADC and the Australia Day National Network are currently reviewing the Australia Day Ambassador program to ensure it is delivered even more effectively in Australia Day Achievement Medallion Program Australia Day Achievement Medallions are a way to acknowledge the outstanding contributions and performance of public sector staff, and is a program administered by the NADC. The program ran successfully in 2015, with 1,189 Bronze and 539 Silver medallions distributed to 68 organisations. This shows continuing growth in the number of organisations who bought medallions. 15

16 Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Australia Post Australia Day Legend Stamp Series The NADC worked closely with Australia Post to promote its 19th Australian Legends stamp issue in 2015, honouring Australia s Victoria Cross recipients, Keith Payne VC OAM, Mark Donaldson VC, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG, Daniel Keighran VC and, for the first time in the history of the stamp series, Legend status was posthumously awarded to Cameron Baird VC MG. The Australia Day National Network has partnered with Australia Post in the promotion of the Australian Legends Stamp Series for many years. The partnership underwent a change ahead of Australia Day 2015 and the promotion of the stamp series was redirected to a public audience, in place of the traditional corporate audience. For 2015, two successful corporate functions were held in Sydney and Melbourne. The Victoria Cross Legends and Cameron Baird s parents attended both functions and were honoured during dedicated Australian Legends video segments. In addition to these key events, the entire Australia Day National Network supported Australia Post s stamp release through significant promotion across its digital and social platforms, continuing the strong connection with our Australia Day activities. Australia Day at Work The Australia Day at Work program (ADAW), formerly Australia Day in the Office, encourages working Australians to celebrate our national day with their colleagues with an event in the lead up to 26 January. With Australia Day National Network support, the NADC took over administration of ADAW for 2015 with the aim of increasing both awareness of and registrations in the program. Based on feedback from those who participated in the program in 2014, the key to increasing participation was increasing awareness and also providing better enticement to register. To boost awareness, the NADC provided funding to each state and territory body. The NADC also promoted the program via its social media channels. To provide an incentive, every organisation that registered received a pack which included an inflatable bat to play office cricket with. To be eligible to win the major prize, a photograph of your workplace playing cricket had to be submitted. This streamlined national approach showed strong results with an increase in registrations of 53%. A post event survey revealed that 90% of participants said they would hold an ADAW event again in

17 Celebrating our Australians of the Year and the Australia Celebrates Concert The NADC held a large public event on the lawns of Parliament House on 25 January 2015 which featured a live band performance at 4pm, a pre-awards tribute show from 5-6pm that honoured our outgoing Australians of the Year, and the Australian of the Year Awards live on stage outside Parliament House and broadcast live on ABC from 6-7pm. After the Australian of the Year Awards, a concert event featured Australian music stars Paul Kelly, Jessica Mauboy and Sheppard. The pre-awards show also included a tribute to the ANZAC Centenary, and Australians of the Year from all categories who have served our country in the Australian Defence Force. The ANZAC Centenary tribute included moving speeches from the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) and former Young Australian of the Year, Corporal Mark Donaldson VC. Vocalist Eric Bogle performed a stirring version of And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda. The tribute set the scene perfectly for the Australian of the Year Awards which followed. Australian Citizenship Affirmation on Australia Day The NADC again partnered with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to promote the Australian Citizenship Affirmation. We continued to focus on local Australia Day organisers, encouraging them to include Affirmation ceremonies in their activities. These efforts led to an increase in the number of local councils holding Citizenship Affirmation ceremonies on Australia Day in Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL The NADC also administered on behalf of the department to promote the initiative to target audiences and provide an easy and accessible way for event organisers to order free resource materials for their Australia Day events that include the Affirmation. In 2015, 28,931 Affirmation resource materials were mailed out to 101 local councils across the country, an increase on A mail out to over 550 local councils was conducted in November and a paid media schedule was also implemented to promote the Affirmation in local government publications. An Affirmation e-newsletter was also developed and distributed to local councils in November, December and January. Two new case study videos have been developed to promote the Affirmation, which are available for the department to use year round to promote the program. 17

18 Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL National Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony The National Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony is a ceremonial event that takes place at Rond Terrace in Canberra, a prominent location between the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House. The event combines a traditional Australia Day flag raising and 21 gun salute with a citizenship ceremony, capturing two key Australia Day traditions in one event which is broadcast live on ABC Television. In 2015, Prime Minster the Hon Tony Abbott MP conducted the citizenship ceremony. The event also included participation from NADC Chairman, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG as well as the Vice Chief of Defence, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO, CSC, RAN who was received on parade by the Federation Guard. Former Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Tim Fischer AO, and media personality Adam Spencer provided expert commentary. A total of 25 people from 15 countries were welcomed as new Australian citizens at this year s ceremony. Conferees came to Australia from Bolivia, India, Italy, Latvia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, People s Republic of China, Peru, Philippines, Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, United States of America and Zimbabwe. This ceremony featured touching interviews with each new citizen as a key part of the event, showcasing the diversity of our nation through heart-warming personal stories. The event was very successful and attracted a large local audience in Canberra, and a total television audience of 267,000, which was up significantly on Create a program which is inclusive of all Australians Reconciliation Action Plan The NADC Reconciliation Action Plan was reviewed and implemented in The NADC is committed to playing a part in the journey of reconciliation by helping all Australians to move forward with a better understanding of our shared past and how we might build a better future together. We work closely with Reconciliation Australia to ensure our activities for Australia Day consider the importance of reconciliation. The NADC supports the Recognise campaign to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia s Constitution. We are also committed as a supporter of the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign which is run by the Australian Human Rights Commission. 18

19 Australia Day Biennial Conference The NADC delivers the biennial National Australia Day Conference to provide training and professional development to assist Australia Day event organisers from around the nation to deliver the most effective, engaging and inclusive Australia Day program for their local area. Highlights from the two day conference on June 2015, included keynote addresses by 2015 Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, acclaimed author, journalist and historian Peter FitzSimons AM and leading arts advocate, Robyn Archer AO. A panel discussion on the values and importance of community by four of Australia s Local Hero Alumni also provided an inspiring session for attendees. During the Conference, there was a strong focus on networking between fellow event organisers and a private Facebook group was created to enable ongoing exchange of information. For the first time select sessions of the conference were available for viewing via live stream. The videos are also available to view on the NADC website and via the event organisers Facebook group. Results from a post conference survey showed that 93% of delegates rated the conference very good or excellent and 97% of delegates rated the quality of speakers very good or excellent. Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Media Australia Day is a day for all Australians to participate in a way that is right for them, and particular attention is given to ensure that media representation of Australia Day showcases the cultural diversity and diversity of opinion that Australians have about our national day. The NADC delivers a proactive media strategy which promotes an authentic, truly national celebration of Australia Day which supports the campaign message that Australia Day means something different to everyone. To ensure this message is disseminated to the widest audience possible, campaign messages were translated into 125 different languages, including live reads of the radio campaign across CALD-specific stations and showcasing the creative to 21 newspapers targeting the CALD audience, as well as to key titles aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Ethnic media agencies were also encouraged to distribute the Australia Day national campaign materials. The NADC worked with two media agencies for Australia Day 2015, giving us a stronger media approach to drive participation in our events and programs. It also helped to create deeper content to drive thought and conversation around what it means to be Australian. A new initiative for Australia Day 2015 were a series of articles that touched on key issues relating to Australia Day. These articles provided a way to reach and engage with the Australia Day Thinkers audience who are proud Australians but who don t necessarily participate in the day in traditional ways. The NADC used this opportunity to showcase the national finalists for the Australian of the Year Awards, and several articles were prepared by finalists. To broaden our reach, the articles were published in metropolitan newspapers and also on popular opinion websites including the Conversation, Mamamia and New Matilda. Based on circulation figures, the print articles reached an audience of over 600,000 people, and the articles on The Conversation and New Matilda in particular attracted a lot of discussion and debate online. 19

20 Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Diverse entertainment Artists from culturally and linguistically diverse audience groups were engaged to perform at Australia Day events and a diverse range of events that appeal to all audiences were conducted across the nation. Online engagement To ensure the strongest and most accessible web presence, the Australia Day website underwent a number of significant changes in The key focus was to refresh the site s design to meet current expectations and improve the user experience. The entire site was redesigned to be responsive for all online devices, and an events search block that could be plugged into all pages of the website was developed. This ensured users could search for Australia Day events directly from national and state home pages. This was an important development as the national events calendar is a key asset of the website and drives considerable traffic in the lead up to our national day. Close to 700 events across the country were listed in the NADC s Australia Day national calendar. The listed events were diverse, community focused and family friendly, including community flag raisings, suburban citizenship ceremonies, regional breakfast barbecues, rural festivities and capital city fireworks and concerts. As the NADC website is also the home for six of the state and territory organisations, the state and territory home pages were given greater significance as part of the site architecture, meeting specific requests from the Australia Day National Network. Overall, the Australia Day website experienced significantly higher usage than it did for January Key website statistics for January 2015 are: 484,374 visits (January 2014 figure: 320,447) 870,532 page views (January 2014 figure: 957,972) 314,398 unique visitors (January 2014 figure: 219,540) An average bounce rate of 70.46% After the home page, the events page received the most page views (139,450) Our social media assets are another important way to connect with the public and provide a way for people to engage with topics related to Australia Day and being Australian both in January and throughout the year. As outlined in the Australia Day Digital Strategy, the Australia Day Twitter account (@OzDay) was a key focus in the lead up to Australia Day 2015 and showed strong grew from 1,882 followers as of 1 February 2014 to 6,755 as of 1 February 2015, and continued to be the most popular Australia Day focused Twitter profile. #AustraliaDay was promoted as part of the Australia Day 2015 campaign in partnership with Twitter and encouraged all Australians to share images and reflections of their day on Twitter. 130,000 Tweets used #AustraliaDay on Australia Day 2015, up 85% on hash tag usage in

21 Through the development of a relationship with Facebook Australia, a number of unique and high value initiatives were executed. These included two posts on the official Facebook page promoting the celebrate your way message and encouraging social media users to share an image of their day using #AustraliaDay. Total audience reach of the activity generated over 600,000 views, 15,700 post clicks, and a combined total of 7,209 likes, comments and shares. The Celebrate Australia Day Facebook page grew strongly, increasing its page Likes from 24,532 to 29,978, with people engaged with the page peaking at 3,349 unique users daily. This figure relates to users engaging with page posts, from sharing with friends, to commenting or liking a post. A total of 422,997 unique users viewed content relating to the Facebook page during this period. The Australia Day Instagram account was also better resourced in the lead up to Australia Day 2015 and had over 1,300 followers as of February 2015, up from approximately 200 followers in Instagram will be a focus area working towards Australia Day Australia Day NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Fiona Dolan National Manager, Australia Day 21

22 Each year the Australian of the Year Awards recognise Australians worthy of your attention. Who would you nominate for the 2016 Awards? Nominate them today australianoftheyear.org.au

23 Australian of the Year Awards Each year the Awards celebrate the achievement and contribution of extraordinary Australians across four categories, Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year (60+), Young Australian of the Year (16-30), and Australia s Local Hero. The Awards profile a broad range of citizens who are role models for us all and inspire us through their achievements to make our own contribution to creating a better Australia. Inspire Australians as a result of the Awards program National Announcement The 32 state and territory recipients traveled to Canberra on 24 January. The first official function for the group was an afternoon tea for the Young Australians of the Year, hosted by the Department of Education. That evening the group attended a welcome reception at Government House hosted by the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), and the following day a morning tea was hosted by the Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott MP. A breakfast function was hosted by Reconciliation Australia on 25 January for Australian of the Year finalists who are prominent advocates for reconciliation and who work closely with Indigenous communities. Australian of the Year 2014, Adam Goodes, gave his valedictory speech at a lunch hosted by Principal Partner the Commonwealth Bank on 25 January. Media coverage of the speech was significant and was broadcast on Sky News and ABC News 24. The national recipients of the Australian of the Year Awards 2015 were announced by the Prime Minister, at a public ceremony in front of Parliament House in Canberra on 25 January. The national announcement was broadcast live on ABC1, ABC News24 and ABC iview between 6-7pm and attracted a total audience of 469,400, a significant increase on The ABC produced a series of 12 x five minute videos showcasing the state and territory recipients which aired across the ABC networks in the weeks leading up to the national announcement. ABC Local Radio broadcast a special, national Australian of the Year evening program from 5.45pm, live from the Awards site. The announcement attracted strong editorial coverage on TV, print and radio media, reaching a cumulative audience of 57,731,641 and with an advertising value of 7,390,195 (online statistics are not included). Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, Young Australian of the Year Drisana Levitzke-Gray, Senior Australian of the Year Jackie French and Australia s Local Hero Juliette Wright, attended the National Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony in Canberra on 26 January. Australian of the Year Awards NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Community Participation The national Award recipients have all been very generous with their time, accepting a large number of requests to speak at a variety of community and sponsor events across the nation. State-based Tours of Honour took place in Western Australia and Northern Territory. The tours focus on profiling the state and territory recipients and Awards Alumni with visits to metropolitan and regional communities. 23

24 Australian of the Year Awards NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Build the Awards brand to inspire widespread community interest and engagement in the program Nominations campaign The nominations campaign ran from 1 June to 1 August A key focus was to demystify the Awards process, encourage more and stronger nominations and to increase public awareness in the following areas: That anyone can nominate a person for the Awards; That it s easy to nominate and it only takes one nomination; That there are four Award categories; and That the Awards recognise all Australians, from your local hero through to the Australian of the Year at state, territory and national levels. The campaign introduced new messaging around the Awards, recognising more than just the four national recipients: Every year the Awards recognise 128 remarkable Australians in four categories across all states and territories. This was complemented by the use of the taglines Shine a light on an Australian you admire and One nomination is all it takes. Results include: 2,067 eligible nominations received for the 2015 Awards. Website visits were strong with 82,905 visits throughout the nomination period, 79% of which were new visitors. Social media audience and engagement continue to increase, particularly on Facebook, a platform which invites conversation and is ideal to showcase our diverse styles of content. This year we profiled recipients through Facebook Q&A s which proved very popular. Corporate partner engagement continued to increase with a particular focus on the nomination period as a key opportunity to profile their association and support nominations. Stronger engagement with local councils and community groups has been established to encourage nominations. The search begins for the next Australians of the Year each year in June. The 2016 Awards program was officially launched on 4 June 2015 at an event in Canberra by NADC Chairman Ben-Roberts Smith VC MG. Rosie Batty 2015 Australian of the Year, Jackie French 2015 Senior Australian of the Year and Drisana Levitzke Gray 2015 Young Australian of the Year also participated in the event. The Awards Principal Partner, the Commonwealth Bank, has committed to a three year extension as Principal Partner. 24

25 Strengthening the management of the Awards program For the first time in the history of the Australian of the Year Awards, women have been awarded the top honour in all four award categories, which was very well received. Seventeen of the 32 finalists were women. Sponsorship funding remains strong with all cash Award sponsors continuing their agreements for the 2016 program. Collaboration with the Australia Day National Network continued with regular meetings held to discuss how we can improve the Awards program. The Network continues to promote the Awards at a state/territory level by conducting Tours of Honour for their state recipients and promoting the call for nominations at a local level. An efficient and effective Business Plan was developed, delivered and reviewed upon completion of each phase. Australian of the Year Exhibition at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) The NADC partnered with the NMA to develop a new exhibition. The inaugural Australian of the Year Awards exhibition opened on 17 December 2014 and closed on 28 February The display showcased objects put forward by each of the eight finalists which tell a little of their personal journeys. Australian of the Year Awards NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Six of the eight Australian of the Year national finalists joined the NADC and NMA to launch the exhibition along with our Chairman, Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG. There were 80,000 visitors through the area where the exhibition was located and the webpage for the exhibition hosted by the NMA received 10,000 page views. The exhibition was widely promoted on social media by both the NMA, NADC and the national finalists for the Australian of the Year Award. The exhibition will travel to the Australian Museum in Sydney from 4 August to 28 November 2015 and there are plans to hold the exhibition at the NMA again for the 2016 Australian of the Year Awards. Carolyn Ludovici National Manager, Australian of the Year Awards 25

26 Recipients of the Australian of the Year Awards 2015 Recipients of the Australian of the Year Awards 2015 NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL National Recipients Australian of the Year Rosie Batty Senior Australian of the Year Jackie French Young Australian of the Year Drisana Levitzke-Gray Australia s Local Hero Juliette Wright State Recipients State Australian of the Year Senior Australian of the Year Young Australian of the Year New South Wales Deborra-lee Furness Jackie French Genevieve Clay-Smith Victoria Rosie Batty Professor Sam Berkovic AC Thomas King Queensland Hetty Johnston AM Fred Hyde AM Yassmin Abdel-Magied Western Australia Professor Lyn Beazley AO Graham Mabury OAM Drisana Levitzke-Gray Australia s Local Hero Kevin Robinson Louise Davidson Juliette Wright Stacy Dunbar South Australia Dr Gill Hicks MBE John Swan Kristin Carson Vince Coulthard Tasmania Rodney Croome AM Professor Henry Reynolds Australian Capital Territory Adam Mostogl Mary Kay Glenn Keys Sandra Mahlberg Patrick Mills Damian De Marco Northern Territory Rosalie Kunoth-Monks OAM Eddie Robertson Chantal Ober Ray Palmer 26

27 2015 Australian of the Year National Finalists at the Commonwealth Bank Luncheon on 24 January Drisana Levitzke-Gray celebrates with fellow National Finalists on stage as she is announced as the 2015 Young Australian of the Year. 27

28 Corporate Services Corporate Services NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Maintain regular communication within the Australia Day National Network to maximise program outcomes Regular and positive communications between the NADC and the Australia Day National Network were guided through the Australia Day National Network Strategic Plan The NADC and the Network communicated regularly throughout These communications occurred through monthly teleconferences and through Network Chairs face to face meetings. The NADC ensured that appropriate development opportunities were made available to the Network, including providing a specific Indigenous cultural awareness training session in March The Network has maintained its strength and level of joint programs. To support the delivery and administration of these programs, the NADC distributed over 1.6m in grants and program support to these organisations (representing an increase on the previous year). Throughout the NADC continued to administer major sponsorship agreements with Australia Post and Woolworths which included funding across all states and territories. Ensure high standards of corporate planning and governance throughout the organisation NADC activities and programs were directly aligned to the priorities and actions of the NADC Strategic Plan Regular Board and Audit Committee meetings were held across The overall corporate operations, governance arrangements and financial operations of the NADC were reported at each of these meetings. The NADC Reconciliation Action Plan was actively applied throughout with a cultural awareness training session, a continued commitment to support procurement from Indigenous organisations (where practicable), and active support of National Reconciliation Week and other significant cultural events throughout the year. The NADC reduced its environmental impact by offsetting 100 per cent of its estimated carbon emissions of air travel, vehicle fleet and utilities. These emissions, totalling 100 tonnes, were offset by the planting of native trees through Greenfleet, The NADC joined this initiative in 2008 and to date Greenfleet has planted enough trees to offset tonnes of CO 2 -e. 28

29 Maintain financial viability of the organisation The NADC continued to manage its funding effectively across and the overall financial results highlighted that the NADC managed its budget in an efficient manner. The NADC reported a small surplus of 69,796. This surplus reflects the NADC s continued efforts to maintain a robust equity position. Members equity at 30 June 2015 was 1.2m representing over 16% of the year s expenditure. This achievement is the result of continued success in maintaining sponsorships and tight control on expenditure. Over 3.6m of cash and quantifiable contra sponsorship and partnership funds were secured throughout the year. This represents just over 50% of total revenue. Noel Florian Corporate Director 29

30 Partners Corporate Services NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Australian of the Year Awards Cash Partners Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Principal Partner) Department of Social Services Department of Immigration and Border Protection Department of Education Contra Partners Qantas Airways Holiday Inn Media Partners ABC TV ABC Local Radio SBS Radio Fairfax Media Campaign Partner Cre8ive Australia Day Cash Partners Australia Post Woolworths Limited Department of Immigration and Border Protection Contra Partners George Patterson Y&R Dentsu Mitchell Media Partners ABC TV MIX Corporate Partners 30 MinterEllison Lawyers

31 Staff At 30 June 2015 Chief Executive Officer Programs Digital Producer National Partnerships Manager National Partnerships Manager Australia Day National Manager Project Manager Project Coordinator Jeremy Lasek Bucky Toller Simon Joyce Petrina Stamenkovic* Fiona Dolan Kayla Scott Erin Scott* Staff NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Australian of the Year Awards National Manager Carolyn Ludovici Operations Manager Suzanne Rochester Communications Manager Sonia Morabito Research Officer Rachel Barnsley** Research Officer Annie Toller** Corporate Support Corporate Director Finance Coordinator Office Coordinator Noel Florian Doris Leake Emma Conant *On maternity leave at 30 June 2015 ** Non-ongoing positions through short term contract 31

32 Australia Day National Network Australia Day National Network NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL The National Australia Day Council leads the network of State and Territory Australia Day affiliate organisations and local Australia Day committees. New South Wales Australia Day Council of New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet Level 13, 52 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Victoria Australia Day Committee (Victoria) Department of Premier and Cabinet Level 8, 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002 Queensland Queensland Commemorative Events and Celebrations Committee Department of the Premier and Cabinet Level 2, Executive Building, 100 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 Western Australia South Australia Australia Day Council of South Australia 200 Victoria Square, Adelaide SA 5000 Tasmania Department of Premier and Cabinet Level 5/15 Murray Street, Hobart TAS 7000 Australian Capital Territory Economic Development Directorate ACT Government GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601 Northern Territory Australia Day Council NT Level 2, NAB Building, 71 Smith Street Darwin NT 0800 Australia Day Council of Western Australia The Lodge, Government House, St George s Terrace, Perth WA

33 Kayla Scott (left) and Simon Joyce (right) from the NADC joined Bryce Wilson (middle) from Reconciliation Australia at Old Parliament House in celebration of National Reconciliation Week. The launch of #AustraliaDay 2015 with Ricki-Lee Coulter, Canberra band Drawing North and special Australia Day tweeters at the National Museum of Australia. 33

34 Directors Report Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL The Directors present their report together with the financial statements for the National Australia Day Council Limited (NADC) for the year ended 30 June 2015 and the auditor s report thereon. 1. Directors as at the date of this report Mr Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG Ms Robbie Sefton Ms Janet Whiting AM Mr Jason Glanville Ms Elizabeth Kelly Professor Samina Yasmeen AM Mr Norman Schueler OAM 2. Responsible Minister The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP was the responsible minister until 23 December The Hon Christian Porter MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister was the responsible minister as at 30 June Company Secretary Mr Adrian Watts GAICD held the position of Company Secretary (1 July 2014 to 18 March 2015). Mr Noel Florian CPA held the position of Company Secretary (19 March 2015 to 30 June 2015). 4. Principal Activities The principal activities of the company during the year have been to promote national pride, active citizenship and the observance and celebration of Australia Day; to administer the Australian of the Year Awards, which include awards for the Young Australian of the Year, the Senior Australian of the Year and Australia s Local Hero; to distribute grants to state/territory Australia Day Councils and to make recommendations to and advise the Australian Government on all matters relating to year round national pride activities. 5. Operating Trading Results The net amount of the operating profit for the company for the period ended 30 June 2015 was 69,796 and retained earnings at the end of the financial year was 1,168,141. The company is exempt from income tax. 6. Dividends No dividends have been paid or declared during the year and no dividends are proposed. The company is prohibited by its Constitution from making any distribution to its members. 34

35 7. Review of Operations During the period ending 30 June 2015, the NADC and state/territory network continued to deliver both national and state programs. The Australian Government, through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, provided a total of 3,438,000 funding for the company. Sponsors provided a total of 3,609,600 for national programs, and part of this funding was allocated to state and territory Australia Day affiliates for local projects. 8. Significant changes in State of Affairs There have been no significant changes in the state of affairs of the company during the period of 1 July 2014 to 30 June After Balance Date Events Since the end of the financial year, the Directors are not aware of any matter or circumstance not otherwise dealt with in the report or accounts that have significantly or may significantly affect the operations of the company, the results of those operations, or the state of affairs of the company in subsequent financial years. Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 10. Future Likely Developments The NADC will continue to develop and maintain national community based programs in the promotion of national pride and active citizenship, and in making awards for significant achievement. 35

36 Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 11. Directors during the financial year end 30 June 2015 Mr Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG Chairman Former Australian Army and Special Air Service Regiment Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG is the Commonwealth s most highly decorated serviceman from the war in Afghanistan. Since retiring from the Armed Forces, Ben has been a leading strategic advisor to Government and industry on a broad range of defence, security and personnel issues and he is General Manager, Seven Queensland. Experience: Appointed Chair 5 November 2014 General Manager, Seven Queensland Deputy Chair of the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Veterans Mental Health Member of the Queensland s Veterans Advisory Council National Ambassador Legacy Patron, White Cloud Foundation Patron, Wandering Warriors Mr Adam Gilchrist AM Chairman Former wicketkeeper/batsman Australian Test and One Day International cricket teams Best known for his exceptional cricketing career, Adam Gilchrist AM is acknowledged for his leadership and outstanding contribution to the Australian cricket team. Off the field, Adam has supported Canteen, World Vision and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Experience: Appointed Chair 8 September 2008 Term Ended 8 September 2014 Non-Executive Director of Travelex Non-executive Director, Tropical Forestry Services (TFS) 2011-Current Professor Ian Frazer AC Board member CEO & Research Director Translational Research Institute Professor Ian Frazer AC was named the Australian of the Year in 2006, for inventing the Cervical Cancer Vaccine and works to raise awareness and funds for medical research through his current role as Chair of the TRI Foundation Board. Experience: Appointed 5 May 2012 Term Ended 5 May 2015 Director, Admedus Vaccines Pty Ltd Director, Implicit Bioscience Ltd Director, PA Research Foundation Mr Jason Glanville Board member Chairman, Australian Indigenous Governance Institute Over the past 20 years Jason Glanville has made a significant contribution to social policy development and reform with a particular focus on Indigenous community engagement, social enterprise development, education and leadership. Experience: Appointed 4 June 2013 Director, Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre Board Member, Reconciliation Australia Board Member, Carriageworks Member, Redfern Waterloo Aboriginal Alliance 36

37 Ms Elizabeth Kelly Board member Deputy Secretary, Governance, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Elizabeth Kelly is responsible for machinery of government, legal policy, governance issues across the Australian Public Service, Cabinet and the coordination of support to the Prime Minister and Portfolio Ministers. Elizabeth also has the role of Chief Operating Officer, responsible for financial management, ICT and corporate services. Ms Carol Schwartz AM Board member Chairman, Our Community Carol Schwarz AM is passionate about social change, having founded the Trawalla Foundation (a social investment body) and being intimately involved in the formation of the Australian Women Donors Network. Experience: Appointed 21 October 2013 Member of the Council for the Order of Australia Member of the Public Service Medal Committee Special responsibilities: Appointed Audit Committee Member 23 October 2013 Experience: Appointed 21 February 2012 Term Ended 20 February 2015 Board member Stockland Board member Bank of Melbourne Board member Qualitas Property Partners Board member The Sydney Institute Chair, Creative Partnerships Australia Chair, Our Community Founding Chair, Women s Leadership Institute Australia Co Chair, Women Corporate Directors Australia. Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Ms Robbie Sefton Deputy Chair Managing Director, Sefton & Associates Having worked with media, government, private companies and industry over the past 15 years, Robbie Sefton possesses a wide range of strategic communication skills including issues management, media relations, training, corporate image and brand identity, leadership, sponsorship and special interest/advisory group expertise. Experience: Appointed 9 June 2010 Former Board member, Australia Day Council of NSW Board member, Graziers Investment Company Ltd Former Board member, Observant Pty Ltd Member, Responsible Business Forum, Woolworths Member, Commonwealth Environmental Water Advisory Council, Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Advisory Group member, University of Southern Queensland Small Business Finance Panel member, Reserve Bank of Australia Dr Thinethavone (Tim) Soutphommasane Board member Race Discrimination Commissioner Political philosopher and columnist Dr Tim Soutphommasane is known for his clarity, originality and thought-provoking style, his expertise in politics, society, culture and ethics. The author of four books and a regular media commentator on TV and radio, Tim was for a number of years the philosopher in residence at The Weekend Australian. Experience: Appointed 5 May 2012 Term Ended 5 May 2015 Member, Australian Multicultural Council Member, Advisory Council of the Global Foundation 37

38 Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Ms Janet Whiting AM Board member Partner, Gilbert & Tobin Janet Whiting AM has extensive experience in competition, corporate and regulatory law and is one of the pre-eminent commercial litigators in Australia. She is highly regarded for providing strategic advice, detailed analysis and obtaining commercial solutions. Professor Samina Yasmeen AM Board member Director, Centre for Muslim States and Societies, University of Western Australia Professor Samina Yasmeen AM is a specialist in political, and strategic developments in South Asia (particularly Pakistan), the role of Islam in world politics, and citizenship among immigrant women. Her research on social inclusion and exclusion dynamics focuses primarily on Muslim women and Citizenship in Australia. Experience: Appointed 9 June 2010 Council Member MCD University of Divinity Deputy Chair, Victorian Major Events Company Patron, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation Council member Newman College, University of Melbourne Director, Bell Shakespeare Director, Naomi Milgrom Foundation Special responsibilities: Appointed Audit Committee Chair 12 June 2013 Experience: Appointed 9 June 2010 Member, Australian Multicultural Council (2011-Jun 2014) Member of the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council (AMAC) ( ) Council on Immigration Services and Status Resolution ( ) Editorial Board, Australian Journal of International Affairs National Consultative Committee of Islamic Studies Centre, Melbourne University Red Cross WA-IHL Committee Vice President of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (WA Branch) Fellow Of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, (2012) Member of the Board, Australian Strategic Policy Institute Substantive Equality Unit, Program partner, (2012-Dec 2013) Norman Schueler OAM Board member Director, Normetals Mr Norman Schueler OAM has travelled extensively and regularly to China to establish a flourishing import / export business. Actively involved in the multicultural community, Mr Schueler, has been President of the Jewish community Council SA since Experience: Appointed 5 November 2014 President Adelaide Jewish Community Council Member of Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce Deputy Chair South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission Special responsibilities: Appointed Audit Committee Member 18 June

39 12. MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS The Board and Audit Committee both met in person on four occasions during the year. Board meetings Audit Committee meetings E A E A Ian Frazer Elizabeth Kelly Jason Glanville Ben Roberts-Smith Norman Schueler Carol Schwarz Robbie Sefton Tim Soutphommasane Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL Janet Whiting Samina Yasmeen E The number of meetings held during the time the director held office and was eligible to attend during the year A The number of meetings attended that the relevant director was eligible to attend 39

40 Directors Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 13. INDEMNITIES AND INSURANCE PREMIUMS Indemnity is provided to directors of the Board under the coverage of the NADC s insurer, Comcover, which is an Australian Government self-managed fund for insurable risk. Premiums are levied as part of the overall insurance coverage and are based on the agreed insurance value and previous claims history. 14. DIRECTORS BENEFITS During the period ended 30 June 2015 and to the date of this report, no director has received or become entitled to receive a benefit (other than a benefit included in the aggregate amount of the emoluments received or due and receivable by directors shown in the accounts, or the fixed salary of a full-time employee of the company or of a related corporation) by reason of a contract made by the company or a related corporation with the director or with a firm of which they are a member, or with a company in which they have a substantial financial interest. 15. AUDITOR S INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION The auditor s independence declaration for the year ended 30 June 2015 has been received and can be found on page 41 of the financial report. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors. Janet Whiting Chair, Audit Committee 17 September

41 Auditor s Independence Declaration Auditor s Independence Declaration NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 41

42 Independent Auditor s Report Independent Auditor s Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 42

43 Independent Auditor s Report NATIONAL AUSTRALIA DAY COUNCIL 43

44 SA Australian of the Year, Dr Gill Hicks MBE, with her personal item on display in the Australian of the Year Awards exhibition at the National Museum of Australia.

45 2014 Australian of the Year Adam Goodes with 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty back stage after the announcement 45