Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge four wonderful people that live in the Shortland electorate who were acknowledged in the Australia Day Honours list. The first person I would like to acknowledge is Terence Watson of Belmont North who received the Ambulance Service Medal. His involvement in ambulance service began as an honorary ambulance officer in 1975, working one night a week, before he become a permanent officer in 1977. Mr Watson has worked on the research and development of new patient-assessment tools allowing paramedics to bypass hospitals and giving patients, particularly those located in rural areas of the Hunter region, access to thrombolysis. He is a fantastic man who gives an enormous contribution and is really deserving of recognition for the work that he has done whilst employed within the ambulance service.

The next three people I will be recommending were all awarded the Order of Australia Medal. The first is Robin Gordon. Robin is an outstanding citizen in the Belmont area. She is very community minded and involved in every activity within that community. She has been involved in the Save Belmont Library committee—and was one of the people responsible for saving that library—and the Belmont Hospital Watchdog Group. She is co-author of TheGolden Age of Nursing and Newcastle High School: The First 75 Years. She is also involved in the Belmont Red Cross. I really think that there is not a community group within the Belmont area that Robin Gordon does not support. Her contribution is well and truly appreciated.

Keith Graham is one of those quiet achievers. Keith is a person that comes up to you and raises issues all the time about what is happening in the Swansea part of the electorate. He has been secretary of Meals on Wheels at Swansea since 1974. He has been secretary of the Coon Island Land Care Group since 1991, and the secretary of the Swansea Advisory Committee since its inception in 1976. Keith is one of those guys that you feel really privileged to know. He does what he does because he believes in his community, he likes to help and assist people, and I think he embodies what the Order of Australia Medal is about—as does Robin.

I would like to talk about Roger Greenan at some length. He comes from Windale, which is another area of the electorate. He retired in 1997 and since that time he has been so active in the community. There was a Windale Renewal Scheme that was advertised for people to become involved in. Windale is a fairly disadvantaged area and Roger, when he saw the notice for people who were interested in trying to empower and change the image of the suburb to come along, put his hand up. When Roger puts his hand up to do anything, it means that he is there for the long haul and that he works really hard. That renewal scheme made some really major changes in that area. They organised some festivals, newsletters and lots of other community activities—community empowerment. In addition to that, he has been involved in the Men's Shed at Windale. The Windale Men's Shed is one of the landmark Men's Sheds in Australia. The peak body came out of that Men's Shed, and Roger has been at the forefront all the way along. He really does some fantastic work. He is also involved in the volunteer brigade and he is a man who is totally committed to his community.

The one thing all these people have in common is their commitment to community and their desire to make their communities better places and support all members of their community. They embody what the Order of Australia medal is all about.