Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Clean Up Australia Day was last Sunday, and I along with lots of family and friends went along to the Esplanade to do our little bit to clean up. Around 40 volunteers joined me to clean up, and they included the local Girl Guides. We picked up 40 bags of rubbish, which was interesting, because the Darwin City Council had already been there before us. Some of the items we found included shopping trolleys, a mobile phone, a golf club and lots of bags of hidden alcohol. That was interesting, seeing as it is an alcohol-free environment. Anyway, it was great and everyone really enjoyed themselves and we made a real difference.

On a different note, I had the pleasure of meeting the Alzheimer's Australia president, Ita Buttrose. Ita was in Darwin to meet other Alzheimer's champions and advocates at an afternoon tea that was put on by Alzheimer's Australia NT. Sadly, around 2,700 Territorians live with dementia. As I have already said in this House, Indigenous people are five times more likely than other people to contract Alzheimer's. Ita said that it is really important that we raise awareness of this disease in the community, because the disease often goes undetected. As an Alzheimer's Australia NT champion, it is my goal to make a difference and educate my electorate about the science, symptoms, treatment and support available. (Time expired)