Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate Surf Life Saving Central Coast on being awarded Branch of the Year at the recent Surf Life Saving NSW Awards of Excellence. This award is the culmination of a successful season for the 15 surf lifesaving clubs across the Central Coast, whose members and volunteers dedicate their time to keeping locals and visitors safe. This past season the local clubs have been busy, including with a number of rescues at my club, Toowoon Bay. I'd like to recognise young surf lifesavers Aida MacDougall and Isla Carver-Wright. I am delighted to see Surf Life Saving Central Coast receive this recognition and look forward to the flags going up on the Central Coast beaches from Saturday 23 September for the upcoming patrol season.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the official opening of The Glen for Women centre in my electorate of Dobell on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The Glen for Women provides a minimum 12-week residential program in a culturally safe and supportive environment to help women recover from addiction and build practical life skills. Located on Darkinjung country, the 20-bed centre is the first Aboriginal community controlled women's rehabilitation centre in New South Wales. The centre and its success are thanks to the hard work and dedication of many local women, including Coral Hennessey, Jan McKinnon, Barbara Olson, Cheryl Bailey, Gail Savage and Minister Linda Burney. I would also like to acknowledge: Joe Coyte, the Executive Director of Glen Rehabilitation Centres; my colleague and friend David Harris, the state minister; and the former government for their contribution to this important project.

I want to take a moment to highlight the importance of higher education and, in particular, enabling programs for people in communities like mine on the Central Coast of New South Wales. People who attend university in my community are often juggling work, study, commuting and family and household commitments. They are much more likely to come through an enabling program than directly from school, compared to people in other communities around New South Wales and across Australia. In fact, around 30 per cent of commencing university students at Ourimbah Campus in my community come through established enabling programs like Open Foundation and Yapug. Our government is committed to creating opportunities in the regions and outer suburbs, like the Central Coast of New South Wales, with reliable pathways to higher education and better support for students when they get there, at whatever age or whatever time of life. I'm encouraged by the support of education minister Jason Clare for campuses like mine at Ourimbah and comparable campuses around Australia to make sure that every person gets the best chance.

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