Plan ahead for ANZAC 2015 quota
29th December, 2013
Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss, today reminded Wide Bay Residents who wish to travel to Gallipoli for the Centenary of ANZAC in 2015 to nominate now to be included in the quota of visitors able to attend the ceremony.“The Gallipoli campaign was an event of great importance to our country and the history of the Australian Military forces. The great courage and incredible resilience that Australian diggers displayed on the remote shores of Turkey earned our young nation respect and admiration.”
“Given the significance of the Centenary, Australia has agreed with the Governments of New Zealand and Turkey to limit attendance to 10,500 people, to ensure the safety and comfort of those attending.”
“8,000 places have been set aside for Australians, to be allocated by public ballot. The ballot for places to attend the ceremony in Gallipoli will close on Friday, 31 January 2014, so I would encourage people who are interested in attending to submit their applications as promptly as possible”, said Mr Truss.
Successful applicants will be provided with a maximum of two passes to attend official ANZAC Day commemorations at Gallipoli in 2015, including the Dawn Service and the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine.
“Whilst the majority of places will be available to the Australian public, there will also be some set aside for veterans and their families. Some preference will be given to direct descendants of those who served in the Gallipoli campaign, particularly sons and daughters of Gallipoli veterans, as well as veterans with qualifying service who have served outside Australia”
“Widows of Australian First World War veterans will not be required to participate in the ballot and will be included as part of Australia’s official representative group.”
“I would encourage any widows who are interested in attending the 2015 ceremony to contact my office and I will assist their inquiries” Mr Truss said.
The attendance passes to ceremonies will be free, but individuals must meet all their own costs for travel and arrange entry visas to the Republic of Turkey.
A short video about the ANZAC Day commemoration is available from the Gallipoli 2015 site at www.gallipoli2015.dva.gov.au, and individuals are encouraged watch the video before applying for the ballot, to inform themselves about the challenging environment and conditions on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
ENDS
