Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It has been a privilege and an honour being the federal member for Robertson since my election in May of 2022. Over my time in office, I have had the opportunity to meet with a range of outstanding organisations based in my electorate. These charities and not-for-profit organisations are the backbone of my community and of many communities across the country. They work diligently to support people who might be doing it tough or to be places for people to come together. The Albanese Labor government funded round 8 of the Stronger Communities Program in the October 2022 federal budget. This was despite the former Liberal government failing to fund round 8 and failing to fund many of the other projects that they were raving on about during the last election. Round 8 of the Stronger Communities Program provided local organisations with grant funding of between $2,500 and $20,000 for infrastructure projects.

Through the Robertson community grants committee, several organisations were selected and are now benefiting—for example, several men's sheds in my region. Men's Sheds are phenomenal organisations for men of all ages. The men's shed movement is one of the most powerful organisations for helping men address their healthcare issues and improve wellbeing. They allow men to be a part of something bigger and put their time to good use by supporting their local community through a range of diverse work. One such men's shed that we have been able to support is the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed in Green Point. Just the other week, they celebrated their second birthday, which I was fortunate to attend and see some of the marvellous projects they have been working on. I congratulate the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed on their second birthday milestone. This group of men meet regularly to work on projects such as toys for disadvantaged kids and supporting local primary schools. Importantly, it is a place for its members to belong to, which promotes a great sense of camaraderie. Through our support, the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed in Green Point received over $7,000 to put towards the cost of a new concrete slab. This new concrete slab enabled the men's shed to increase their working space as their membership continues to grow.

As their membership has grown, so has the need to have more working space for its members to work safely in, and I was pleased to see during my visit that the concrete slab has been poured and the project has now been completed. Already the additional working space is allowing more members to participate in these projects. As a health professional I understand how important social connections are to our overall health and wellbeing. Men's sheds provide so much support to men of all ages, and I'm a huge supporter of their work. To all the men involved with the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed, thank you for your dedication to improving our community and supporting your mates. You are all outstanding members of our community, and we appreciate the contributions you make to strengthening our region. It has been a great pleasure meeting with you all and getting to know you.

Can I just say a special thanks to all of the members of this men's shed in Green Point for the fantastic work they do: Alan Sparkes, Barry Evans, Barry Tanswell, Chris Neilssen, Chris Mackett, Colin Scott, David Halliwell, Gary King, Geoffrey Turner, Graham Hurrell, Graham Pollock, John Moore, John Moriarty, John Sherrington, Kevin Ivins, Noel Price, Patrick Fry, Peter Jacobs, Peter Thompson, Philip Barclay, Robert McHue, Thomas Yates and Trevor Dowse. Thank you for all the outstanding work you do on the Central Coast and particularly within the electorate of Robertson, supporting organisations, schools and community groups right across the region. You do an amazing job. I thank each and every one of you. I also thank all of your amazing supporters, partners and wives for being part of that community. At that second birthday milestone you were all there around the barbecue, having a cup of coffee. Seeing the amazing work you do is truly inspirational, and I'm not just limiting it to the men's shed at Green Point; we have men's sheds right across the Central Coast. I know everyone here in this chamber right now has some outstanding men's sheds, and we thank them for the amazing work they do right across this great country.

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