That is how strongly Maureen Kelly feels about North Arm Cove, so it’s no wonder she was a finalist in this year’s Port Stephens Volunteer of the Year award.

The editor of the Cove’s free monthly newsletter Cove News, Maureen divides her time among the theatre group, book club, writing club and has raised more than $12,000 as the convenor of the International Women’s Day Breakfast for UNIFEM.

“I love it here because you can live a quiet life if you want to but you can also have a very active life because there is always something to do most nights of the week.”

But Maureen says she is just one of several volunteers in North Arm Cove, without whom the community would not be the network that it is.

“A lot of us volunteer, working on community groups or organising fundraisers and most people serve on more than one group - we are all community-minded people. In fact my kids tell me ‘You’re never home’. People here are just very social and I think it has a lot to do with our isolation from other larger communities.”

Alongside Mrs Kelly in this year’s awards was Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger. The Tea Gardens man has been forthright in his group’s campaign to see a resolution to the deteriorating condition of the Myall River.

“The award means that people are listening to us and it’s getting our message out to the wider community and government departments which is important.”

At the awards ceremony Mr Baumann said the economy would collapse without volunteers like Mrs Kelly and Mr Grainger who save the Australian economy $42 billion a year.

“We have Citizen of the Year Awards, Queens Birthday Honours and Australia Day Honours, all of which recognise people who have achieved something outstanding,” he said.

“But there isn’t much to honour those who regularly spend hours each day, week or month volunteering their time and services for those less fortunate. Their generosity and commitment to providing for the community must not go unrecognised.”