Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today it is my pleasure to speak about a local charity doing extraordinary things in my electorate. The Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation is dedicated to improving health care for every child living in the Macarthur region. It does this by raising money and advocating for children and adolescent health services and research in Macarthur.

The group currently has a goal to see Campbelltown Hospital expanded to estab­lish a new children's hospital to service families in the region. As Macarthur is one of the fastest growing regions in the state and Campbelltown Hospital is already well supported with an established Children's Health Foundation, the group believes this would be the perfect place to establish a third children's hospital for New South Wales. The group also wants to see a permanent paediatric surgeon at the hospital, as the current surgeon is restricted to a limited roster. I support this aspiration in principle; however, I am very aware of the debt the former Labor government has lumbered the people of New South Wales with. My coalition colleagues in New South Wales are doing all they can to get New South Wales back on track. It is certainly a goal that the foundation should continue to work towards.

The foundation survives entirely on local community support. It pledges approximately $250,000 per year to purchase paediatric medical equipment for Campbelltown and Camden hospitals. This contribution is in addition to the support it offers local community health centres, research projects and children's community health programs such as asthma awareness and juvenile diabetes monitoring. The foundation's success relies on the kindness of the residents and businesses in my electorate who continue to support its events and fundraisers. The generosity of people living in Macarthur is something I have always been very proud of. I am continually amazed, but not surprised, by their willingness to dig deep in order to help local families who are doing it tough.

The foundation was established in 2000 by a group of local business leaders, paediatricians and hospital administrators. Eleven years later, it now raises enough funds to donate around $1 million every four years to purchase paediatric medical equipment for our local hospitals. I must acknowledge the hard work of the foundation's chairman, Mr Bruce Hanrahan; deputy chair, Paul Wakeling; treasurer, Tim Bryan; secretary, Julie O'Keefe; and directors, Fred Borg, Steve Carter, Dr Ric Dunstan, Dr Andrew McDonald, Adam Seton and Paul Sinclair and the foundation's hospital representatives, Leisa Rathborne, Dr Setthy Ung and Caroline Bester. I also acknowledge its CEO, Denise McGrath; staff members Carol Tucker, Geanna Campbell and Natalie Hearne; and the 40 volunteers who currently support the foundation. Without all these people the foundation would not be as successful as it is today.

On Saturday, 11 June I had the pleasure of attending the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation ball at Campbelltown RSL. The annual ball raises funds with a silent auction and major raffle, and guests could pledge money to purchase hospital equipment. This year the ball raised $130,000, a great achievement that the foundation, its volunteers and members of my community should be very proud of. A total of 470 guests attended this gala event, including local residents, business owners, politicians, local councillors and parents who have benefited from the support of the foundation.

One touching story in particular is that of four-year-old Harrison, who lives in my electorate. Harrison lives with a disability called quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and his family has received support from the foundation. Harrison's parents, Lynette and Justin, have described him as a little boy who loves life and the Wests Tigers. Most weekends you can find him at a football game or sitting in front of the TV watching his team and cheering them on. He may not be able to say the whole alphabet yet, but Harrison can proudly tell you every Wests Tigers player's name. Lynette and Justin said Harrison's disability prevents him from walking around unaided. Thanks to the foundation, he now has the use of a walking frame, which his parents say has changed their lives completely. Harrison can now enjoy getting out and about with his parents, because he can walk using his frame with minimal assistance.

Children grow up so quickly, and I cannot imagine how expensive it would be for Lynette and Justin to keep up with Harrison's needs as he grows too big for one walking frame and then needs another. Thanks to the foundation, children in Macarthur who need this equipment can borrow it from an equipment loan pool to save their parents the expense of purchasing expensive equipment that they grow out of so quickly.

This is just one example of the foundation making life much easier for children and their parents in my electorate. It is for this reason that I wanted to acknowledge the foundation and its achievements today. The Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation is a great asset to my community and has given support, hope and strength to many families in my electorate. I would like to publicly congratulate the foundation on its achievements and thank the residents in my electorate who continue to support it. Everyone involved is making this world a better place for our children, and that is something I believe we should all aspire to.

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