Mayor Eddie Loftus yesterday offered this welcome to Greater Taree City’s newest Aussie, a young man who has already pledged to serve the community in which he has chosen to live.

Alex Cosway, 29, is one of three new younger candidates to announce their intentions of standing for a city councillor position at the September 13 election.

But first, Mr Cosway had to satisfy the legal requirements of Australian citizenship.

With the date for closing of the electoral rolls fast approaching (August 3), his necessary paperwork had not arrived from his birthplace, Canada.

So, showing the level of his commitment to the task ahead, according to the mayor, “this young man booked a flight back to Canada, collected his birth certificate in person, and arrived back in Taree with all his necessary documentation”.

Mayor Loftus commended Mr Cosway at a ceremony early yesterday in the council chambers, where Mr Cosway took the oath of allegiance to Australia and was welcomed into what the mayor called ‘the family’ that is Australia.

Present at the ceremony was Mr Cosway’s wife Alison (nee Northam), a Taree girl who now teaches at St Joseph’s school in Taree.

The young couple, married for six years, have made their home in Taree.

Mr Cosway, who is sales director (business and government) for Taree IT company Noeledge Systems, was the first person to announce his intention of contesting the council election after mayor Loftus made a public plea for some ‘young blood’ to stand on September 23.

“I am an enthusiastic starter,” Mr Cosway said at the time, promising to inject youthful energy and his passion for his adopted home into the task ahead. He said he fell in love with the Manning Valley the minute he landed in a light aircraft on the Old Bar airstrip some years ago.

Yesterday, his adopted home became his permanent home, when mayor Loftus presided over his citizenship ceremony.

Reading a message of congratulations from Federal minister and senator Chris Evans, the mayor referred to the official ceremony as “the final stage of moving from the migrant family to beginning life as an Australian citizen”.

“It shows your commitment and loyalty to share in the Australia of the future.”

Mr Cosway received the traditional citizenship gifts from council of a certificate, a 50 cent coin medallion, and an Australian native shrub.