Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the member for Goldstein would not associate himself with this sentiment, but sometimes you have got to feel sorry for the member for North Sydney. He is out there trying to find $70 billion. If the previous contribution and that of the member for Brisbane in the House earlier today are anything to go on, there will be billions of dollars of promises from opposition members during this budget process. So he has really got his job cut out for him.

I want to briefly talk about some organisations in my electorate. On 4 May I had the opportunity to attend an exhibition of organisations in my electorate conducted by Sector Connect, which is the interagency group in the Macarthur-Wingecarribee area that institutes interagency sharing, fills service gaps and takes up state and federal issues on behalf of all the organisations that fall into the category of non-government providers in my electorate. They are also involved in advocacy, training, Volunteering Macarthur, Families New South Wales and some Indigenous programs.

Amongst the groups that were there on that day were the South Western Regional Tenants Association, based in Liverpool. That has been going for 28 years. It undertakes work on behalf of public, Aboriginal and community housing tenants throughout south-west Sydney, Werriwa being a significant part of that region. It assists people with new housing applications, other Pathways forms, maintenance issues—which of course are in a lamentable condition in New South Wales because of the neglect that has been there for decades—appeals against decisions, information about tenants rights and responsibilities relating to tenancy and explaining and responding to letters and forms received from Housing New South Wales. It was amongst the 40 or 50 groups that were there on the day. I had the opportunity to meet some organisations that I had not come across before. All of them are out there trying to work for the community.

In a similar fashion to my colleague the member for Fowler, I recently attended the Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre's domestic violence forum, another important activity in our electorate. It is worth noting that, in the past year in Australia, 21 per cent of sexual assaults were found to have been perpetrated by former partners and eight per cent by current partners. At the event and in newspaper coverage later, Fatima Rashid Hassan, the domestic violence education officer for the Liverpool Migrant Research Centre, drove home the particular issues that confront non-English-speaking recently arrived families, such domestic violence, intergenerational conflict, differences in power structures in family units, the inability of males who have previously thought of themselves as being dominant in relationships to gain employment, communication issues et cetera. That matter was addressed by me and the member Fowler as well as a significant number of police active in this area and also by local community organisations and academics.

Amongst other events in the electorate recently there have been two launches of the Beacon business breakfast at Ingleburn and Eagle Vale high schools. This organisation started in a very deprived area of Launceston. I think former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting came from the school area where it started and has been a strong supporter of it. It is involved in engaging business with schools in deprived areas to make sure that pathways into employment are available. There are some impressive statistics as a result of students being engaged in this program, with more than half of them likely to find some secure employment with defined pathways. They are five times less likely than the national average to disengage from full-time education. The unemployment rate for Beacon students is five times lower than the national average for 16-year-olds. There is an above average retention of students, with nearly 12 per cent still in education six months post year 10. Amongst the activities engaged in are charter signings; business events; student ambassadors; business blackboards, where businesses talk to students about their experiences to provide links to the school curriculum; speed careering et cetera. At both those schools, there was a reasonable level of participation by local businesses. Beacon is supported by the federal government, AMP, Accenture, the Coca-Cola Foundation, Rio Tinto et cetera.

The Eagle Vale school caters for the suburb of Claymore, whose reputation is one of social deprivation. The state and federal governments are currently cooperating in trying to get some mixed housing into what was essentially a totally housing department area. It is a very deprived area and it is great to see that Beacon and the local school community are participating in that project. I have to say that in that area that I would hope to see an increase in productivity by the housing department in its restructure of the local housing. At the moment there is some question about the way in which they have engaged people. I think that the Eagle Vale High School could be the major nucleus for cooperation and delivery of information to the community.

There are other local activities that I would like to comment upon briefly. Like many members I will be engaged in the Biggest Morning Tea with regard to cancer funding. The group cosponsoring this with me is Macarthur District Temporary Family Care Inc. It is mainly involved in assisting disabled local citizens and providing respite. Annamaria Woods is the driving force in that organisation, and last year we had a very commendable attendance. I have said this before in the House: in changing from the Reid electorate to Werriwa, one of the major differences is the extremely active local community with regard to disability issues. I probably went to, at most, one disability function a year in my 20 years in Reid. In the Werriwa electorate you are talking about 20, 30 or 40 functions, and about 15 of those are fundraising. Anne-Marie's organisation is just typical of the local social workers, community workers and the very strong nucleus of active residents.

It is no surprise that Campbelltown council's annual ball this year, held at Menangle racecourse, went towards an organisation for mental health. It typifies a local community attitude on these matters. In that case, it was an organisation which is working with schizophrenic people and moving towards better amenities for them close to the Campbelltown hospital.

A similar event being held very soon is hosting Cook for a Cure on 1 June. Once again, this will have a significant local involvement focus. That will occur in Ingleburn, and this actual event is around the question of raising money for medicine funding in Australia. It is a coalition of organisations specifically devoted to particular health issues—people who have sufferers who are family members or who have had victims who are deceased, but also significant research elements and companies in the pharmaceutical sector. That, of course, is being held around the country and amongst the focuses are cancer, Alzheimer's, asthma et cetera. I am pleased to be engaged with local groups in supporting that.

As I said, they are indicative of local events and activities in an electorate where you really do have to say that there is a strong sense of community and involvement.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allocated for the grievance debate has expired. I call the member for Wakefield.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Federation Chamber do now adjourn.

Question agreed to.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 21:58