Central Coast champion Layne Paull has joined the ranks of 31 remarkable women and girls to be named a finalist for the 2026 NSW Women of the Year Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The North Avoca resident is nominated in the NSW Young Woman of the Year category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NSW Women of the Year Awards recognise outstanding women who demonstrate strong leadership, resilience and community spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Paull is a young leader with a passion for inclusion, innovation and community service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Inclusion Nippers Coordinator for North Avoca Surf Life Saving Club and Team Leader for Disabled Surfers Association, she has developed programs that make aquatic environments welcoming for people of all abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Paull juggles studying biomedical engineering at the University of Technology Sydney with her role as a disability support worker, designing personalised strategies to enhance clients\u2019 skills and independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was awarded the Women in Engineering Scholarship 2025 by Engineers Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in its 14th year, the awards program shines a light on extraordinary individuals across the state who are improving lives, driving innovation, strengthening communities and inspiring future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recipients in each of the five award categories will be revealed at the Women of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday 5 March at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the flagship event of NSW Women\u2019s Week 2026, held from Monday 2 March to International Women\u2019s Day on Sunday 8 March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2026 Women of the Year Awards finalists are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NSW Premier\u2019s Woman of Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Community Hero<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Regional Woman of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Young Woman of the Year (16\u201330 years)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ones to Watch (7\u201315 years)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about the NSW Women of the Year Awards 2026 and finalists by visiting https:\/\/www.nsw.gov.au\/departments-and-agencies\/women-nsw\/awards-and-events\/nsw-women-of-year-awards\/nsw-women-of-year-awards-2026-finalists<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Find out what other events are taking place during NSW Women\u2019s Week 2026 at NSW Women’s Week 2026 | NSW Government<\/a>. The NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony will be livestreamed for everyone to celebrate these inspirational women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Premier Chris Minns said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery finalist represents the strength and diversity that defines New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese women are changing the lives of those around them – not for recognition, but because they believe in lifting up their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI congratulate all of the finalists and commend them for going above and beyond in their respective fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for the Central Coast David Harris said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLayne\u2019s tireless efforts in disability inclusion, innovation and community service are inspirational, and she is a more than worthy NSW Young Woman of the Year finalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI join all Coasties in congratulating Layne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would also like to acknowledge Professor Tracey O\u2019Brien, a finalist for the NSW Premier\u2019s Woman of Excellence and NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year finalists Adjunct Professor Nicole Turner, Dr Aunty Rhonda Radley and Sharon Winsor, all of who I have the privilege of working with in my other Ministerial portfolios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe calibre of women nominated for the NSW Women of the Year Awards couldn\u2019t be higher and I congratulate each and every one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWomen and girls across New South Wales are making a difference right across our state and these awards recognise their invaluable contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis year we receive an incredible number of nominations, every one of them showcasing a story of grit, compassion and remarkable achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur 2026 finalists come from all corners of New South Wales and their work spans health, community services, business, culture, education and advocacy. Their contribution enriches our communities and sets an example for girls and women everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Member for Gosford and Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion Liesl Tesch said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Central Coast is home to a vast array of fantastic women, shaping change and enriching our community through their everyday actions and incredible community spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA special congratulations to Central Coast local Layne Paull, a dedicated champion and advocate for disability inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLayne\u2019s expansive work in disability inclusion across sport, assistive technology, adaptive design and advocacy showcases her commitment to breaking barriers for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCongratulations and thank you for your wonderful work Layne.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Central Coast champion Layne Paull has joined the ranks of 31 remarkable women and girls to be named a finalist for the 2026 NSW Women of the Year Awards. The North Avoca resident is nominated in the NSW Young Woman of the Year category. The NSW Women of the Year Awards recognise outstanding women who … Continue reading “Central Coast young leader among NSW Women of the Year 2026 finalists”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37225"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37226,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37225\/revisions\/37226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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