Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to announce in this chamber this morning that Davistown RSL Sub-Branch has been awarded a $4,000 grant from the federal government as part of the Saluting Their Service commemorations program so they can upgrade the surrounds of the war memorial at the Davistown RSL Club, otherwise affectionately known as the Davo. I advised the President of the Davistown RSL Sub-Branch, Walter Sheargold, of the grant earlier this week. He said that this grant will actually enable them to completely refurbish and rejuvenate the war memorial and the area around it. As part of the upgrade, I am advised that the RSL subbranch will install four new plaques representing the Army, Navy, Air Force and combined services. It will also go towards developing a new tiled walkway up to the wall where the memorial stands. Wal was telling me that these new tiles will hopefully mean that it will be harder for people to slip over when they are making their way up to the memorial to lay a wreath, particularly in the rain.

The Davistown RSL Sub-Branch has around 140 members, and it plays a vital role in our community on the Central Coast. They meet every second Sunday of the month, but they are out and about in the community all the time. Their memorial has stood for around a decade in memory of those men and women who have given of themselves for our country and who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the democratic freedom we enjoy today. The Davistown RSL Sub-Branch is confident that the memorial will be ready in time for a special Remembrance Day service on the 11th day of the 11th month. It is a great credit to the subbranch committee for their work in securing this grant, so I would like to acknowledge the president, Wal Sheargold; the secretary, Ron Thomas; and the minutes secretary, John Green, who I am informed did all of the hard yards in getting the grant application together.

It is a fantastic example of how the Saluting Their Service grants program assists communities to commemorate those who have served and those who continue to serve our nation. The Davistown RSL Sub-Branch is one of a host of defence community organisations across the country who will share in Australian government funding. Each recipient can use the grant for commemorating significant military anniversaries; building or restoring memorials; preserving and displaying wartime and military memorabilia; and establishing local honour boards, plaques and flagpoles. This, of course, helps to ensure that the service and sacrifice of generations of Australian personnel are remembered and demonstrates our continued respect for the current generation of sailors, soldiers, air men and women serving us today.

I encourage more local community and ex-service organisations on the coast which are interested in applying for future grant funding rounds to do so. It is an ideal opportunity to remember and respect the service and sacrifice of Australia's service men and women and to promote a deeper appreciation and understanding of the role they played in shaping our nation. Details of how to apply are all contained on the Department of Veterans' Affairs website. I commend Senator Michael Ronaldson, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, for his continued work in this area. I invite him to the Davo to see the memorial for himself.