BY DAKOTA TAIT
Dr David Durrheim has been named as the Lake Mac Ambassador at the 2022 Lake Mac Awards.
The physician is being honoured for his work in helping guide the Hunter through the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health controller at Hunter New England Health.
He says, the past few years have shone a spotlight on public health.
"It's quite clear that everybody is now an amateur epidemiologist, and all of us really, as a very large team, have worked together in this public health crisis," Dr Durrheim said.
"The last time this happened was 100 years ago, in the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, and it's been to me, incredibly heartening to see how the community and the health service have all worked together."
Dr Durrheim joined more than 90 nominees, finalists, and thirteen winners at Belmont 16s on Saturday night.
Rhiannan Iffland, a five-time world champion diver, was named Sports Star of the Year, while 11-year-old Xavier Neil was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for his efforts to raise more than $70,000 for local cancer charities.
Lake Macquarie charity Hope in a Suitcase, which helps supply foster kids with necessities, received an award for Community Group of the Year, while OzHarvest volunteer June Butler was named as Volunteer of the Year.
Dr Durrheim says it's a real honour to be recognised alongside so many other members of the community.
"It's incredibly humbling to actually have attended the event and just to have heard the wonderful and remarkable stories of community volunteers and the work that's being done across Lake Macquarie, by diverse groups of people, particularly during the last two very challenging years," Dr Durrheim said.
"It's an absolute delight to be part of the Lake Macquarie community. It's a beautiful part of the world - arguably, the most beautiful city in Australia, and I think we're very fortunate to live in a community where people do look after each other in a beautiful environment."
