David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with deep sadness I rise to inform the chamber of the passing of Georgia Alexandrou, a long-serving leader within the Cypriot Australian community. Georgia was president of the Cyprus Community of Canberra and ACT from 2022 to 2023. Her strong and enduring leadership provided a long period of stability for the Cypriots in the Canberra district and all of Australia. In 2021 she was elected president of the Pan-Australian Justice for Cyprus Coordinating Committee.

She was instrumental in advancing relations with Cyprus and Greece, working closely with the Cyprus High Commission and the numerous visiting missions of high-ranking Cypriot dignitaries and officials. She had enduring connections with this place. Her volunteering and community work were also recently recognised by the Greek Herald, as Miss Alexandrou was named finalist for the Greek Herald Woman of the Year 2024. Her energy, vibrancy and community spirit over many years were examples to all who met her and helped foster a successful and cohesive Cypriot community in the ACT and Australia-wide. Georgia continued to lead her community despite a long illness. She was a fighter not only for Cyprus but also for her family—her son Andreas, her husband Christos, her mother, her sister and all her loved ones. May she rest in peace.

A few weeks ago, I hosted a series of forums across my electorate to launch my 2024 Bean Retirees and Seniors Guide, to provide an opportunity for service providers and seniors to facilitate face-to-face conversations across my community. Forums were held in Woden, Tuggeranong and Denman Prospect, with hundreds of seniors attending across the forums. I'd like to recognise the service providers and organisations that attended, including the Weston Creek Bowling Club, LDK, Carers ACT, COTA ACT, Services Australia, the Services Australia scams team, ADACAS, the Stroke Foundation, and the Department of Health and Aged Care's Aged Care Group. We were also joined by the terrific Lanyon Seniors Ukulele Group. The performance by Roy and his team really struck the right chord! I was impressed by the depth of knowledge shown by service providers, organisations and public servants, and also by their clear passion for assisting senior Australians to live a comfortable and safe retirement.

I would also like to thank the seniors who attended these forums. It was great to see new faces and to catch up with regulars. These forums serve as an invaluable opportunity for me to engage in discussion with the seniors community in Bean, and I look forward to next year's forums.

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