Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the great pleasures of being a member of parliament is the opportunity to participate in celebrations in our local community. This month I had the opportunity to go both to the Glebe Street Fair and to the Newtown Festival. Despite less than ideal weather for the Glebe Street Fair, more than 100,000 people turned out for this 32nd annual fair. The fair, run by the Glebe Chamber of Commerce, is one of the oldest events of its kind in Sydney. It is a not-for-profit event, with proceeds being used by the chamber to support community programs, including the wonderful Glebe Youth Service which has been supporting young people in our area for more than 30 years.

The theme this year was putting the 'Glebe' back into Glebe Street Fair, with a focus on involving local businesses and community groups. That was led by the new president of the chamber, Kris Spann, who, along with the rest of the chamber, deserves huge thanks for the success of the event. The chamber is focused on local business participation and has had real success in gaining increased support from the local business community. As well, the fair emphasises the rich creative culture of Sydney's inner west.

The previous weekend, the Newtown community came together for the Newtown Festival, a celebration and promotion of local culture. The festival is run every year by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, and some members of the centre have been involved in organising the festival for the entire 37 years it has been running. Funds raised by the festival go towards two community programs: First Response and Protecting the Newtown Vibe. These assist some of the most vulnerable members of the community with issues like homelessness, addiction, affordable living, mental health and past trauma.

I try to get to both the Glebe Street Fair and the Newtown Festival every year, and in almost every year I have been the member for Sydney I have managed to do that. So, since I was first elected, I have seen the growth in both of these festivals from quite small—although very valuable and very fun—festivals to what are now enormous productions that attract people to our local community from right across Sydney. They are opportunities for our community to get together, but they are also opportunities for people from across Sydney to see the wonderful suburbs of Glebe and Newtown at their very best. Most importantly, the money raised from these two events that bring our community together is used to support, in the case of Glebe, the fantastic work of the Glebe Youth Service and, in the case of Newtown, the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre.