White Pages Covers Program

Courageous Australians Jackson Smith and Ben Savage to feature on Sunshine Coast's Yellow Pages® and White Pages®

May 5, 2010

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Each year, locals are featured on the covers of the Yellow Pages® and White Pages® directories in recognition of the contributions they make to their communities. Under the theme Courageous Australians, this year directories producer, Sensis, is recognising courageous people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to overcome adversity and help others in their time of need.

After receiving nominations from community members for the annual honour, Caloundra residents, Jackson Smith and Ben Savage have been selected to appear on the cover of this year’s Sunshine Coast directory which is distributed to Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Caboolture Districts. 

Jackson Smith and Ben Savage were checking surf conditions in September 2009 when they witnessed a boat capsize in the distance. 

Without hesitation, they immediately dived into the surf and swam 70 metres to reach the boat. When they arrived, they found one of the victims had already passed away and the other was struggling to stay afloat. With strong waves crashing down on them, trying to keep the victim’s head above water was a difficult task. 

After treading water for more than 20 minutes with him, a surf lifesaver on a jet ski arrived to assist with the rescue.  Ben managed to secure the victim to the jet ski board and both were then delivered to safety while Jackson swam to shore. 

“I remember the rescue being extremely tough. We weren’t only struggling to keep the victim afloat, but it was made harder by the difficult weather conditions. The waves were crashing down on us quite heavily so you can imagine our relief when the jet ski came,” said Ben. 

As a result of their actions, Jackson and Ben were recommended by the Kawana Police for bravery awards. 

Distribution of Sunshine Coast Yellow Pages® and White Pages® is planned to start on 11 May 2010 and it will take approximately six weeks for the directories to be delivered to all households.

Sensis encourages residents and businesses to recycle their old directories. In most areas, Yellow Pages® and White Pages® can be recycled as part of normal kerbside recycling services. Visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au to find out about recycling services in your area.

Did you know? The past three local people who appeared on the Sunshine Coast Yellow Pages® and White Pages® cover were:

2009/10: Buderim resident, Kendall Perkins-Brakels, graces the current Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® cover under the theme ‘Creative Australians: Inspiring our Communities’. Kendall uses her renowned artistic skills to assist local organisations and community groups including a recently completed mural called ‘Octypus’ Garden’ for the Nambour Hospital.

2008/09: Local Noosa restaurateur, Jim Berardo, was the cover hero for the ‘Celebrating Australian Flavour’ directory theme. Jim launched “Australian Celebration of Food and Wine – Noosa Style” in 2002 to provide local growers with a platform to showcase their produce.

2007/08: Michael Clift appeared on the 2007/08 Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® ‘Champions of our Community’ cover as a result of his work as chair of the Safe Homes in Noosa Everyday (SHINE) project.