Address to the Federation Chamber, Constituency Statements - Ms Katrina Fanning AO, PSM

Monday 27 March 2023

A great Bean local, Katrina Fanning AO, PSM, has been announced as the 2023 Canberra Citizen of the Year. Katrina Fanning is a Wiradjuri woman, and she was recognised for her dedication to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. She has been the chairperson of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, and from 2021 to 2022 she was the head of the secretariat for the Coalition of Peaks on Closing the Gap. Katrina also made significant contributions to rugby league. Following success as a player and coach, she was appointed chairperson of the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council in 2012, and she's a past president of Australian Women's Rugby League. She's a director of the Canberra Raiders and president of the Canberra Women's Rugby League. Earlier this year, Katrina was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. She also received the ACT Australian of the Year award in 2020, a Public Service Medal in 2015 for outstanding public service in Indigenous affairs, the ACT Woman of the Year award in 2014 and the ACT NAIDOC Person of the Year award in 2014. Congratulations and thank you, Katrina, for your outstanding leadership and ongoing contributions to our broader community.