Mr Stanley will be the key note speaker at the annual awards ceremony on January 26 at the James Theatre Community Centre in Brown Street, Dungog.

The event kicks off with a breakfast at 8am hosted by the Dungog Lions and Lioness clubs.

The official ceremony starts at 9am with a welcome to country by mayor Tracy Norman with the Dungog Community Choir leading the audience in singing the national anthem.

Shire Scouts and Guides will raise the flag.

The Australia Day awards will be presented with categories junior and senior sports awards, volunteer as an individual to the community, young citizen award and citizen of the year award.

The citizen of the year and ambassador will cut the cake before a thanksgiving prayer.

John Stanley who will give the keynote address on the morning is a broadcaster and journalist with the Macquarie Radio network, currently co-hosting the weekend edition on Saturday and Sunday afternoon as well as filling in for Ray Hadley during the year.

For 30 years he hosted prime time talk shows on radio 2UE following his role as the 2GB Macquarie chief political correspondent in Canberra.

He is a regular panelist on the ABC Sunday morning sport show, Offsiders, and until recently was a member of journalism's Walkley Awards advisory board.

He is - and says he always will be - a member of the St George Illawarra Dragons and has recently embraced the GWS Giants in the AFL.

Mr Stanley was born in Sydney and lives in the inner west with his wife and son.