Waters on his way to the Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island last month. Image: Andrew Gosling.

Mildura Rural City Council hosted a Civic Reception for new Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters at the Council Chambers on Monday, celebrating the 22-year-old’s achievements in 2009.

The reception was attended by family and friends of Waters, as well as Team Joe Rocket Suzuki manager Phil Tainton and wife Lyn to pay tribute to the success of Waters during his racing career.

In speaking about Waters in his Civic welcome, Mildura Mayor Cr. Glenn Milne explained that it was important that council acknowledged Josh’s championship win as it had been achieved through many years of dedication and sacrifice from Josh and the entire Waters family, who had travelled more than one million miles in taking the children to motorcycle tracks all around Australia to compete.

Cr. Milne told guests that council is currently working on a feasibility study to ascertain the levels of interest in building a bitumen surfaced race track in Sunraysia, which would give much greater usage of a racing facility as compared with many other tracks in Australia due to the lack of rain in the Victorian town.

TJRS boss Tainton also paid tribute to the team’s young star for the very professional way in which he goes about his racing and told Josh’s guests that he had taken a close look at Josh some years ago, but since signing him to ride for the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki team, had planned out a path through the 600cc Supersport class and then into the premier class, riding alongside an Australian great in three times Australian Superbike Champion, Shawn Giles and fellow team mate, Robbie Bugden.

In responding to the remarks of the Mayor and Phil Tainton, Josh thanked everybody who has helped some way in his total career, which has assisted him to win his first Australian Superbike Championship.