Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker Buchholz, local hospital auxiliaries play a vital role in our country communities, as you yourself know. The Molong United Hospital Auxiliary is certainly no different. In the last financial year the Molong auxiliary raised $29,000 for the Molong hospital—an incredible effort that deserves much praise and certainly the recognition of this House. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the committee members who worked behind the scenes to achieve this magnificent result, including president Janice Oswald and committee members Julie James, Neryl Murray, Judy Andrew, Kim Thurtell, Maureen Curtis, Pat Roberts, Lesley Bye, Chloe Yarwood, Annabel MacSmith, Margaret Kaczorowski, Kim Ramsey, Cheryn Johnson, Robyn Barnes and Carmel Boucher. I would also like to give special mention to the manager of the Molong Health Service, Deborah Kenna, who works closely with the auxiliary.

The auxiliary held raffles, catered for an annual theatre production by way of the Molong Players and gratefully received donations from the Molong community and its surrounding districts. They rallied behind the Molong hospital and delivered a range of new equipment, including oxygen concentrators, a dermascope, five dining room chairs that are on wheels, a palliative care bed, and mattresses for high-low beds. Each item purchased through their fundraising efforts has no doubt made a difference to everyone using the facility. The extraordinary efforts of the Molong United Hospital Auxiliary have also been rightfully recognised at the 83rd state UHA conference, held in Bankstown. The Molong auxiliary received the Yvonne Lynch OAM trophy. That trophy was for the most money raised per member by an auxiliary with 10 or fewer members in 2016.

I extend my congratulations to the Molong United Hospital Auxiliary, who continue to make Molong proud—not only Molong but also the whole Calare electorate. Their work has made a real difference to the lives of local residents and to patients and staff at the Western NSW Local Health District. Well done, and thank you very much for all of your efforts. The community is very grateful.

I recently had the good fortune to be in Molong to present the Molong hospital with some new flags. I met members of the auxiliary when we formally handed over those flags and I was able to hear firsthand of the wonderful work that they do. The auxiliary members are true community heroes. They worked tirelessly, raising money and going about their business quietly yet extraordinarily effectively. I think the whole community of Molong and the surrounding districts owes them a great debt of gratitude. It is only fitting that we recognise them in this House today.

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