Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently, I had the honour of holding my inaugural Lalor Heroes awards night. In my own history, I owe an enormous debt to people who volunteer in our community. Since becoming the member for Lalor, my knowledge and understanding of those who provide service to our vibrant community is deepening.

There is an incredible breadth and depth of community activities supported by passionate people. In Lalor, there are many hundreds who give of themselves to create interest in worthwhile pursuits that ultimately create our great community spirit. I think it is fitting that these people be recognised for their valued contributions, without which our community would be so much poorer in many ways. That is why I decided to initiate and dedicate an award to those very giving people who value community spirit enough to make a considerable contribution.

There was an overwhelming response from sporting and community groups nominating their heroes. The event was well attended by the recipients, their families, friends and by those who nominated them. I paid tribute to each and every recipient on that night and I pay tribute to them again today in this chamber. The sporting and community Lalor Heroes for this year are: Angela Broadbent, for services to the Werribee Softball Association; Ed Cachia, for services to Werribee Centrals Sports and Youth Club; John Campbell, for services to the Wyndham Rotary Club; Peter Gavaghan, for services to the Wyndham Track and Field Club; Brian Geary, for services to the Werribee Plains District scouts; Errol Hart, for services to the Wyndham Track and Field Club; Sharon Jurisic, for services to the Wyndham Community and Education Centre; Jordan Morgan, for services to the Werribee Warriors BMX Club; Bev Morrissey, for services to the Point Cook coffee group; Mario Piovesan, for services to the Werribee Orchid Club; Helen Powley, for services to the Point Cook Evening VIEW Club; Daniel Ramadu, for services to St Thomas Anglican Church; Pat Scanlon, for services to UnitingCare support and housing; Robert 'Bob' Stevens, for services to the Iramoo Softball Club; Vince Taylor, for services to the Wyndham City Swimming Club; Kerry Tuxworth, for services to the Glen Orden Sports Club; and Mae Sie Win, for services to the Wyndham Community and Education Centre.

Each and every one of these people are impressive and worthy recipients of the Lalor Heroes award. The interesting thing that I have observed in my community is we have so many active members who do not seek acknowledgement, so I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to pay tribute to their great work.

As the school year draws to an end, I will be paying tribute to the Lalor Heroes of our school communities as well. As a past teacher and principal, I have seen firsthand how valuable volunteers are to our schools. The evening went surprisingly well, given it was the first time we have pulled off such an event, and I made a special appeal that evening to the local community to ensure that we have local nominees in the Australian honours. Last year there was one recipient of an Australian honour from the electorate of Lalor. I think it does our community a disservice that there were so few nominated and I have made a general call to the population to ensure that we change that—that we go from our Lalor Heroes awards and our local government awards for citizenship and ensure that those people are put forward to the higher level of the Australian awards. Of course, I look forward to hosting the Lalor Heroes awards again in 2015 and would ask people to bear in mind this award as they travel across the year in their community groups, whether they be about community action, sport or the schools in my electorate.