Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the pleasure of launching an amazing initiative in my electorate: the Sun Smiles project. The Sun Smiles project seeks to address the declining state of children's dental health. This is a collaboration which brings together the not-for-profit organisation the Carevan Foundation and Bachelor of Oral Health students from the University of Sydney to provide education on the importance of oral hygiene, free dental screening and a fluoride varnish application. The project was launched at Homebush West Public School last week and will also head to Auburn West Public School in my electorate later in the year.

Good dental hygiene is paramount to an adult's overall wellbeing. Through early intervention and education, this project provides children with the opportunity to better understand oral health and gives them a chance to change their lives for the better. Programs such as Sun Smiles, which harness existing infrastructure and promote partnerships, corporate philanthropy and volunteering, are perfect examples of providing sustainable solutions to the problems faced by everyday people.

This proves once again that community projects can have an incredible impact, far beyond the grassroots level. This is a community-serving project, and I would like to thank Dr John Brabant, the founder of Carevan; Professor Chris Peck at the University of Sydney; and all the teachers and students who helped at the launch. We saw 220 kids that day, and this will make a real difference in their lives, at no expense to the taxpayer, through harnessing corporate, government and philanthropic enterprise. It was a great day.