Do you think a man who has a current AVO (for violent behaviour towards a woman) should be nominated for a Citizen of the Year award by his local council?

This is exactly what happened in the Shoalhaven (South Coast NSW, Australia) on the 26th of January 2026.  We believe this needs to be reviewed and rectified by the council ASAP. 

We would like to keep everyone in our community safe, so we have decided not to name the man here - and this really is an issue we are taking up with council.

See below for the letter we have written to the local council. We are looking to get 100 signatures in support:

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To the Mayor and Councillors of Shoalhaven City Council,

We, concerned members of the local community, are writing to request an immediate review of a current Citizen of the Year nomination recently announced by Council (26th of January 2026).

According to a report published by Sydney Morning Herald on 19 November 2025, the nominated individual is currently subject to an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) issued for a woman’s protection. The article states that the order was made by consent and without admissions, and that it remains in force.

An AVO is a serious legal mechanism intended to protect individuals from harm. Public honours such as Citizen of the Year carry significant symbolic weight and are understood by the community to reflect the values, standards, and integrity of the Council that bestows them.

Proceeding with a nomination under these circumstances risks:

• Undermining community trust in Council’s awards process
• Causing distress to survivors of domestic and family violence
• Sending an unintended message that safety concerns are secondary to public recognition

We respectfully submit that community awards should be held to a high standard of care, particularly where issues of violence and protection orders are involved. We therefore call on Council to:

1. Immediately review the nomination in light of publicly reported information
2. Retract the nomination pending that review
3. Publicly announce the retraction and the reasons for it, in the interests of transparency and community trust
4. Clarify and strengthen eligibility criteria for future community honours to ensure they align with community safety and values

This request is not about presuming guilt or bypassing due process. It is about ensuring that public recognition reflects the responsibility, care, and leadership our community expects from its governing institutions.

We ask Council to act urgently and transparently in addressing this matter.

Signed,

Concerned residents of the Shoalhaven (NSW)