John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two organisations in my electorate were short-listed for the Australian government's National Disability Awards, held in the Great Hall in this place last night. The City of Canada Bay in Drummoyne was a finalist for the local government award recognising community work that provides opportunities for full inclusion and the Touched by Olivia Foundation was a finalist for the inclusive and accessible communities award.

John Perkins and his wife, Justine, co-founded the Drummoyne based foundation in 2007. A major motivation for this was the very sad death of their eight-month daughter which gave them a greater awareness of the importance of inclusive communities that meet the different play needs of all children and their families. This organisation is determined to establish a way in which communities can meet the need for inclusive and accessible playgrounds. The first such playground was established in 2009 in Timbrell Park, Five Dock in my electorate of Reid and is called Livvi's Place.

The Touched by Olivia Foundation has developed four inclusive playgrounds with two further playgrounds under construction and a further eight planned. Accessible playgrounds allow children of all ages and abilities to play side by side. The foundation works in partnership with councils like Canada Bay and corporations to build state-of-the-art all-abilities playgrounds. The foundation was recently awarded the World Leisure Association's international innovation award 2011 for the best playground. I say well done to John and Justine Perkins and the Mayor of the City of Canada Bay Council, Councillor Angelo Tsirekas.