General News
3 February, 2026
Fairer sex call the shots
FIVE Cairns women have been recognised for their contribution to the community at the 2026 Australia Day Awards as part of Cairns Regional Council’s annual celebrations.
The citizen of the year is Dr Renee Cremen, with Anna Alexander receiving a highly commended award.
Claudia Kurowski was named young citizen of the year, with Summer Adams highly commended, while Noelle Halpin received the volunteer of the year award.
“Oh, wow. That’s pretty much how it feels. It took me by surprise,” Dr Cremen said.
“I love working in Babinda and I love working with the people that I work with and feel very humbled that they’ve taken the time and effort to nominate me for the category,” she said.
Dr Cremen said the recognition was appreciated and she hoped it would encourage others to seek support or guidance and help her act as a positive role model in the community.
The citizen of the year said that many others in the community could also have been recognised for their contributions.
The awards recognise individuals who have shown dedication, leadership and generosity in strengthening the Cairns community.
The ceremony is held annually to celebrate residents who go above and beyond to support others and build community connections.
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said the awards highlighted the importance of recognising people who gave their time and energy to others.
“This year’s recipients reflect the diversity, resilience and generosity of our community and council is proud to honour their contributions,” Cr Eden said.
“Across three categories, we recognised leading citizens, young people and volunteers who leave a mark on their community and help Cairns to thrive.
“Caring for our neighbours and celebrating local champions are central to our national identity, making Australia Day a fitting occasion to recognise our five award recipients.”
Dr Cremen was recognised for her long-standing contribution to healthcare in the Babinda region. She played a pivotal role in transforming the 22-bed Babinda Hospital into a Commonwealth-funded Multipurpose Health Service and helped establish an in-house, bulk-billing medical practice when the town lost all local GP services.
Highly commended recipient Anna Alexander was acknowledged for values-driven leadership and her role in transforming the Cairns Chamber of Commerce emerging leaders program into a major leadership initiative for the region.
Young citizen of the year Claudia Kurowski was recognised for youth leadership and advocacy, including her role as the youngest-ever elected member of the Queensland Youth Parliament in 2024 and 2025. She also co-founded The Gratitude Initiative, supporting young girls through education and leadership programs.
Highly commended young citizen Summer Adams was acknowledged for her work in wildlife conservation through her initiative Summer Spirit.
Volunteer of the year Noelle Halpin was recognised for more than 20 years of volunteer service across education, sport, charity and community wellbeing.
The recipients will continue their work across the region, with council encouraging residents to celebrate local contributions and consider nominating community members for future Australia Day Awards.
