Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge a great foundation in the electorate of Cook, the Nicole Fitzsimmons Foundation but, before that, I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to Nicole. Nicole tragically lost her life in a motorbike accident in Thailand in 2012. She was 24 years old, a passionate ballet dancer and an aspiring journalist. Her parents and her sister took a situation that no parent or sibling should ever experience and turned that into a positive force for so many people in our electorate and right across Sydney. I had the opportunity to talk to Nicole's mother, father and sister at the foundation and thank them for all that they do in the community. This foundation does two things. Firstly, it presents travel safety education to young adults and young school children. Secondly, it runs programs for those who experience physical or financial hardship to aspire for their dreams in performing arts or sports.

Over the past 11 years the foundation has given 40 grants and over $100,000 to members of my community. I was fortunate enough to attend their yearly fundraiser, Bubbles by the Bay, at St George Sailing Club. It was a well-attended event with over $9,000 raised and with two recipients of the 'follow your heart' grants being announced: Jack Howell, a para-triathlete who competed in the Paris Olympics; and Holli Niland, who is pursuing her life dream of dance and who performed on the day. I invite community members to donate to the Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation website; donations are tax deductible.

Secondly, I would like to acknowledge another amazing organisation in the electorate of Cook: Marine Rescue New South Wales. They keep the waterways of Bate Bay, Port Hacking, Georges River and Botany Bay safe. One thing community members in Cook never take for granted whether they are jet skiing or sailing is that you are assured, if something does go wrong, the volunteers of Marine Rescue Botany Bay and Port Hacking are on the other side of the radio. Marine Rescue's capabilities are primarily made of well-trained, dedicated and passionate volunteers. I had the privilege of visiting their operations on the Hacking River, where they look after Botany Bay as well, and met a number of volunteers who operate the radios, deploy rescue vessel crews and help to manage accidents, breakdowns and emergencies. These volunteers take time out of their week, week on week, to keep us safe, sometimes undertaking dangerous work and committing to constant training. The understated commitment of Marine Rescue is fantastic and I want to thank them. I would also like to pay tribute to Ian Baker, who received an Emergency Services Medal in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours. Ian has been volunteering for this organisation since 1975 and has participated in over 400 operations.

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