Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for Greenway for her valuable contribution in bringing what is a debilitating disease to the attention of the House. I thank you for your contribution. I acknowledge you, Mr Speaker, for your elevation to high office. I know that our offices traditionally work well together. I look forward to every day that I get the opportunity that I get to work with you and your office. Congratulations on your recent high office.

Earlier this year, the government launched the Sporting Schools program. This was $100 million initiative that represents big changes to school sports. In over a decade, it will benefit hundreds of thousands of primary schools right across all of Australia. It is about keeping our kids fit, healthy and happy. Sporting Schools gives schools access to accredited coaches and programs for more than 30 sports during, before and after school. In my electorate, I have 14 schools that have signed up to participate in the program. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of them personally for their initiative in signing up. I would like to acknowledge the principals. In addition to the principals, I know that behind every great principal there is a great P&C. I also wish the principals to acknowledge the P&Cs.

There is Emmaus College in Jimboomba. The principal there is Kevin Schwede. Kevin, thank you for signing up. There is Flagstone Creek State School, where the principals are Caroline Evans and David Prestridge. I know they will do a great job in managing that program. In the west of my electorate, there is Gatton State School's principal, Vince Burke. Thank you, Vince, for getting involved. I know you have a commitment to making sure that your kids are fit and healthy.

Further over to the east, I thank Gilston State School's principal, Bruce Langes; Grantham State School's principal, Rebecca Cavanagh; Harrisville State School's principal, Christie Minns; Helidon State School's principal, Elizabeth Eilers; and Hills International College in Jimboomba's principal, Kevin Lynch. Today is a significant day: Jason Day just won the cup and I think Jason Day was a student at Hills. If it was not there, it was at Beaudesert State High School. It is definitely within my electorate. If I have misrepresented that, I know Kevin will reach out to me; if it was not with Kevin, it will be at one of the other schools. Hills is an international school that also has its own golf course. They encourage kids from all around the world to go there. They have this very aggressive golf program. I did one of my presentations there last year. These kids are playing off scratch and one or two handicaps. It is simply impressive.

I thank Numinbah Valley State School's principal, Warren Greinke. Just across from Numinbah Valley State School is a little creek; they have got a platypus in their creek. I thank Park Lake State School's principal, Craig Larden, and Silkwood State School's facilitator, Jessica Wertz. Numinbah Valley State School, as part of their sports program, periodically they will also take the kids up and they will walk the Kokoda Trail with their parents. It is a great exercise.

To St Bernard State School at Mt Tamborine's principal, Adam Brandt: thank you for signing up. Adam is going to make a lasting impression on that school. His contribution is not only on the school but to the community. St Mary's Catholic Primary School's principal, Tim Stinson, is doing an outstanding job there in that school with their sports program. The school is also going through some trauma. They have just had their fete more recently. Their administration building has just been rebuilt after a devastating fire there that was some time back. Tamborine Mountain College's principal, June Melbourne, does an absolutely fantastic job up there—June, thank you. She has been there since the school first kicked on.

I personally congratulate all of these schools in my electorate of Wright who have recognised the importance of Sporting School for their students' health, development and happiness. Too many of our kids today are overweight. This program speaks of addressing the obesity issue and it speaks about re-energising the children in our electorate before and after school. It is a great program. To those schools that did not take the opportunity or missed the opportunity to pick it up, I encourage you and implore you: please, this is a great program that your students will benefit from it and your community at large, into the future, will benefit from it. If we have got our youth of tomorrow up running around fit and healthy, then that creates healthy minds.

House adjourned at 21 : 30

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