Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 15 November, I attended a fundraising dinner organised by the South Australian branch of the Australian Workers Union. The funds raised on the night went to the Neil Sachse Foundation. The foundation was established in 1995 by Neil Sachse to provide treatment to victims of spinal cord injury and help find a cure for that injury. The current goal of the foundation is to raise $5 million for a dedicated research and treatment centre for spinal cord injury at the University of Adelaide. Senator Anne McEwen spoke about this matter in the Senate chamber on 11 November this year. To date, $2 million has been raised by the foundation. At the AWU dinner over $16,000 was raised for the Neil Sachse Foundation. Wayne Hanson, state secretary of the AWU in South Australia, and his members have, since 1999, been instrumental in raising over $34,000 for the foundation. This is just one example of the good community work the South Australian branch of the AWU is doing and highlights that it is not only business that contributes to or initiates fundraising for charitable organisations.

There are more than 9,000 Australians with spinal cord injury. Most, but not all, are caused by motor vehicle accidents. One of my schoolmates has lived the past 40 years of his life in a wheelchair after being left a paraplegic in a motor vehicle accident. I saw him about two weeks ago, and at the time I could not help but wonder how different his life might have been had he not been in a car accident. I am, however, impressed by and admire people like Neil Sachse, who, despite his disability, has made the most of his life and became a champion for people with spinal cord injuries. Neil was a former outstanding North Adelaide football player. As a North Adelaide Football Club supporter, I well recall his great football skills and his high-flying marks. Sadly, he was injured playing his second game for Footscray in 1975 and was left a quadriplegic. I spoke with Neil at the AWU dinner and again about a week ago. Neil strongly believes that with more research dollars a breakthrough can be made in finding a cure for spinal cord injury and he is determined to raise the $5 million that the foundation needs.

Quite coincidentally, on the same morning of 15 November, I also caught up with another quadriplegic, and long-time acquaintance, Richard Maurovic. As a result of a work accident in the prime of his life, Richard has, since 1986, also been confined to a wheelchair. Richard is another remarkable South Australian who, since his accident, has become a talented author and artist. In 1997, Richard Maurovic was named Young South Australian of the Year. On 15 November this year he was also recognised as a living legend of the City of Salisbury. I congratulate Richard on that very much deserved recognition.

Both Neil Sachse and Richard Maurovic are shining examples that life does not end as a result of becoming a quadriplegic. But, if a cure could be found for spinal cord injury, there is no doubt it would bring so much joy to the 9,000 Australians who live with the injury and to their families and friends who care for them. I can only imagine how delighted they would be if that could be achieved, as would, I suspect, the tens of thousands of people from around the world who suffer from this injury. After many years of research, we have still not found a cure. I am told, from my discussion with Neil Sachse, that one of the key problems is that there is not enough money being put into research. And, while there is good work being done around the world, if all of that work could be coordinated and if it were better funded, he is confident that we could find a cure for it. The Neil Sachse Foundation provides a ray of hope to those Australians who are looking for a cure for spinal cord injury, and I applaud Neil Sachse and the foundation for the good work being done.