Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world and that melanoma is the most common cancer in young Australians aged 15 to 39; and

(b) LEGO is a world-renowned brand with a philosophy to foster imaginative and creative learning and development through play;

(2) congratulates Mr Damien MacRae and his seven year old son Aiden on creating an Australian sun smart beach themed LEGO project entitled 'LEGO Surf Rescue', which has reached the required 10,000 supporters for the LEGO Ideas review;

(3) recognises that:

(a) Mr MacRae and his family have shown remarkable resilience and positivity, in spite of his terminal melanoma diagnosis, in highlighting the dangers of skin cancer and the importance of sun safety; and

(b) the 'LEGO Surf Rescue' project:

(i) demonstrates not only the importance of sun safety to reduce the risks of melanoma, but also highlights the importance of surf lifesaving and promotes healthy and active lifestyles for children; and

(ii) would be the first set in LEGO history to feature figures wearing sunscreen; and

(4) calls on LEGO to support 'LEGO Surf Rescue', and to approve the project to become an official LEGO set.

I rise today to support an innovative LEGO project designed by my constituent, Damien MacRae, and his son, Aiden. In 2016, without warning and still in his early 40s, Damien was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. This turned Damien's and his family's world upside down. Despite the tremendous weight put upon his shoulders, Damien set his mind to making a difference. This has given rise to a project built on hope and courage. I was fortunate to meet Damien this year and hear his story firsthand. Following his diagnosis, Damien and Aiden set themselves a mission: to devise a LEGO set which promotes sun safety to children. Damien, through his own personal trials, began to design a sun-safe LEGO set with his son Aiden entitled 'LEGO Surf Rescue'. They drew inspiration from their own experiences of Australia's beaches to design the LEGO set, as well as spending hours online together finding elements they wanted to include in the project. Their goal was for this LEGO set to feature sun-smart Australian heroes wearing hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Together they designed a LEGO set featuring an Australian beach with waves, surfboards and a sand castle, complete with surf lifesavers and a shark. The concept is iconically Australian.

They submitted the project to the LEGO Ideas program. This program reviews LEGO set ideas that are supported by 10,000 members of the public, with approved designs becoming official products. Their project started small in the later months of 2016. By October, they passed their first milestone—100 people online had seen their project and supported it. Just over five weeks later, their support had grown tenfold to over 1,000 supporters. The support from LEGO fans across the globe continued to grow as more people learned about Damien and Aiden's story and joined in supporting their mission.

On 19 April this year, Damien and Aiden received the message they had been waiting for from LEGO—'Congratulations on 10,000 supporters'. They had reached the benchmark for official review, and the project that started in their own home is now being reviewed by LEGO engineers. In acknowledging this project, LEGO sent Damien the following message:

The entire Lego Ideas team is honoured you and Aiden have chosen to express your important message about surf and sun safety through Lego bricks …

Our warmest thoughts go out to you, your family, and friends. You and your son’s tribute and message have reached tens of thousands worldwide.

Damien and Aiden should be very proud of their achievements. Even whilst the project is still in review, they have touched thousands of people across the globe with their message about sun safety. If this project is approved by LEGO, it will be the first LEGO set in history to feature figurines wearing sunscreen. LEGO is world renowned for its quality toys and its emphasis on learning through play. It is no surprise that Damien and Aiden chose LEGO as the foundation for their idea. I'm reliably told that Aiden loves it. 'LEGO Surf Rescue' provides a new avenue for parents to engage with kids about the importance of beach and sun safety.

In Australia we are blessed with some of the best weather, but unfortunately Australia also has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world. Melanoma is the most common cancer in young Australians aged 15 to 39. Even today, when the facts about melanoma are widespread and well known, too many people are still being diagnosed. Australians spend a lot of time in the sun, from playing sports to going to weekend barbecues and, of course, the beach. Wherever we can, we must spread the important message about sun safety and reduce the tragically high incidence of melanoma.

Damien's resilience and his message are inspiring. The comments online from supporters worldwide are a testament to that. The LEGO philosophy is grounded in the knowledge that creativity and inspiration are grown through good, quality play. Without a doubt, this project embodies the creative mission of LEGO, and 'LEGO Surf Rescue' would stand proudly alongside other LEGO products in stores around the world. I would like to thank Damien and his family, who are watching along at home, for allowing me to share their story with the parliament. Damien and Aiden set out to make a difference, and it's clear beyond doubt that they are achieving precisely that. Aiden, you should be very proud of yourself and this wonderful project, and I'm sure you're very proud of your dad. Damien's resilience and optimism truly inspire, and this story rightly deserves its place in the people's house here in Canberra. I will also be writing to LEGO's headquarters in Denmark expressing the Australian parliament's support for this project and encouraging them to approve 'LEGO Surf Rescue' to become an official LEGO product. I commend this motion to the House.

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