These are the words of Warrnambool cancer services campaigner Vicki Jellie who has been honoured by being made a member of the Order of Austrralia.

Ms Jellie said she was humbled and surprised to be considered for the award which was “very unexpected”.

Ms Jellie was recognised for her “significant service to community health through the provision of access to radiotherapy treatments for people with cancer”.

The Peter’s Project founder and chair was commended for securing local access to radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients in the south-west since 2009.

Ms Jellie lobbied state and federal governments and led a community campaign to fundraise to have the centre built after the death of her husband Peter to oesophageal cancer in September 2008.

She credits the community for its role in the campaign which she began in 2008 and culminated with the opening of the South West Regional Cancer Centre in July 2016.

“It’s the people behind the whole thing,” Ms Jellie said. “You don’t look for awards or anything, you do it because of passion. It’s recognition of everyone who played a role.”

Ms Jellie, who was named the Australian Day Council Victorian Local Hero of the Year last year, said there were so many great people in the south-west.

“I always say Australia’s built on the back of volunteers and it is. We wouldn’t survive without it.

“We’re very fortunate in our community to have all that.” 

She said regardless of how or when residents came to live in Australia “we need to look at how fortunate we are”.

“We’re just so lucky," she said. “I know not everyone has an easy time but we are very fortunate.”

Ms Jellie was Warrnambool’s Citizen of the Year in 2015 and won a Warrnambool City Council Australia Day Award in 2014.