David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take the opportunity this morning to talk about a couple of tremendous community organisations in my community, which I have had the pleasure of meeting with in recent times. The first is Padstow Community Care, which is an agency set up as a charity under the Padstow Baptist Community Church. Padstow Community Care assists many people in our community who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. It has been operating since 1985 and its services have grown steadily over the years.

One of the services that Padstow Community Care runs is the Renew Community store. The store sells second-hand clothing and household goods. All of the profits from these items go back into the store and back into the community. The prices are very low, which enables people who are struggling to purchase items that they might not otherwise be able to.

The centre also has a financial guidance and counselling service, which is very well used in my community. It aims to raise—and often does—about $5,000 every week through donations from the community, which is reflective of the esteem in which it is held.

During my visit in January, I met with the pastor Jamie Wendt and also emergency relief worker John Summerville among other members of the team. It is a terrific service, and I commend Padstow Community Care and everyone else who was involved.

Also in January I had the pleasure of joining the Filipino community of Sydney at the Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House project. This was a fantastic project where, as part of the Sydney Festival in Bankstown, the Filipino community came together and each night kicked off the festival by carrying in the large Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House—a bamboo frame and substantially heavier wood on the inside of it. One night, on 24 January, I joined the Filipino community in carrying the house into the festival area. It was very heavy but it was a great experience and a nice way to open the festival each evening.

It is a tradition in the Filipino community and it reflects the custom of neighbours helping families to relocate a house when they move. Long bamboo poles are placed beneath the frame of the house, and then the house is carried in.

The artist Alwin Reamillo created the house and had the idea of doing this as part of the Sydney Festival. It was a terrific experience, and I congratulate the Filipino community on its success.