Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to highlight a fantastic community networking event I had the pleasure of attending in my electorate of Robertson on 17 May. This was the second annual Peninsula Links Day. The Peninsula Interagency is a group of local service providers who work with and support some of the most vulnerable people in my local community in the peninsula area. This group is the driving force behind the Peninsula Links Day.

I want to acknowledge right here the very important work of Alison McEvoy, who in 2011 worked so hard and brought to life with her Centrelink colleagues and community colleagues the 2011 version of this event that really set it up for this year. Now we have done it twice, we know it is a tradition for the peninsula and we expect it will definitely go from strength to strength.

Links day is a one-stop resource expo that connects individuals and families to important services that are available locally. Obviously it has the impact of increasing the community awareness of potential sources of assistance that can be sought. Sometimes when you are in the most need you are the least able to find a source of assistance. Also we find that there are a number of incredible charitable organisations that are operating but which are not always known to people who might be able to direct people that need them. Links day does exactly what its name describes: it links those groups in the community to one another and to people who realise they might need a bit of a hand and come seeking that assistance.

Peninsula Links Day is designed to give immediate access to a range of practical services in a client focused environment to help close those gaps. This year more than 600 people attended the links day. During the several hours that I spent there the event had an almost festival or celebratory atmosphere. People felt welcome and happy, while at the same time making valuable connections to very important services. There were more than 78 local service providers and community groups represented on the day, who were available to showcase services that are available to people on the peninsula and in the region of the peninsula.

The services represented included housing, legal assistance, Centrelink, Gosford Police and a number of other state and federal government agencies. I was very pleased to be reacquainted with one of my students, who is now well and truly a grown man and who I had not seen since he was in year 8. I am pleased to say he is working in the public interest in the public service.

There was also strong representation from the health and wellbeing sectors, employment services, clothing closets, information booths, food hampers and more. Lucky door prizes were handed out, free haircuts and massages were given, podiatry services were accessed. Food and personal care hampers were also very popular and were taken away by people who found these great treasures that were really going to very much impact on the quality of their lives.

All of this would not have been possible without generous donations from many local businesses, community groups and wonderful individuals, giving individuals. I particularly mention the members of the Hope Church Umina who were at this event in force. Indeed, dozens of people donated their time to make the day a success. I would especially like to mention Lucy Burke, who was on hand to give free haircuts, as well as Terry Mitchel, who was volunteering, as always, for St John's Ambulance. The fabulous women from the Koori Elders choir gave a stellar performance. Ed Johnson also did an excellent job hosting the event.

In perfect weather, a free lunch was provided for everyone by the wonderful volunteers from Mary Macs Place, the Salvation Army and Rotary, whose volunteers were great in number, great in heart and great in giving and giving. Indeed, our local Mary Macs, Salvos and Rotary volunteers all absolutely know and live the belief that it is in giving you receive. You could see smiling faces on the lawn at the Evolution Youth Services.

I would also like to very much acknowledge Mary Surman and Bev and Michael Hardisty, who are grandparents raising their grandchildren. Their extraordinary stories of taking on the full-time care of their beloved grandchildren were really very touching. They are part of a group of 160 grandparents who are doing this job for the second time around. Fiona Crane spoke to me about the issues facing women and children due to domestic violence. I would like to speak more to the work she does. I personally would like to thank Sharon Hughes, Rory Sullivan and all those people for their drive and passion in organising such a wonderful event. (Time expired)