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

I am pleased to have the opportunity this morning to note a number of achievements and events in my local community of Banks in recent weeks. I would like to acknowledge the winners of the Banks Leadership Scholarship, who were announced late last year. I started the Banks leadership scholarship in 2013 to recognise exceptional efforts of students in our community. The scholarship is awarded at the year 10 level, and there is also a junior scholarship for year 6 students—it is right across the electorate. Kirby Pearson, from East Hills Boys High School, won the senior scholarship, this year, and Liana Siteine from Tower Street Public School won the junior scholarship. Kirby has excelled academically and has many awards highlighting his level of achievement. He is a regional Indigenous ambassador and a very accomplished athlete in athletics, soccer, cross-country and cricket. To Kirby: congratulations on your success.

I would also like to congratulate Liana Siteine, of Tower Street Public School in Panania. Liana was school captain and has a very strong academic record along with a wide range of activities including debating, choir, netball and also caring for people in the community who are less fortunate. So, Liana, congratulations on your tremendous success.

Late last year I attended the annual presentation of Picnic Point High School, one of the largest and most successful schools in the Banks electorate. Close to 1,000 people attended the presentation at the Revesby Workers' Club. I would like to congratulate the many students who received awards for their academic success on the day and the many performers, because this presentation day was quite artistic in nature, with a number of theatrical presentations, songs and so on. It was a great day and was enjoyed very much by everyone who was there. I say to Picnic Point High School—to the principal, Wolly Negroh, and to the students and staff—congratulations on a tremendous event.

The Probus community in the Banks electorate is very strong and I have been fortunate in recent weeks to visit some of our very strong Probus clubs. In January, I visited Oatley Probus Club at their meeting at Oatley RSL. Ted Canute has been the president there for some time, and it was great to see Ted and also Noela Tazewell, the secretary. It is a fun and informal get-together, twice a month, at Oatley RSL and provides a lot of camaraderie and friendship to people in our community. I thank the executive of Oatley Probus for everything they do in our community.

I also recently attended Grandviews Ladies Probus, where Evelyn Harwin is the secretary. It is a very well attended group of ladies. They have guest speakers at each meeting, various social events, regular outings, walks and so on. Grandviews Ladies Probus provides great opportunities for people in our community to get together, have a chat and enjoy some social activities. I again thank everybody at Grandviews Ladies Probus for having me along and indeed Paul Nicholls, the General Manager of Club Grandviews, for his support of Probus clubs and many other clubs in our community.

I also, on 17 January, attended the BLIA Chinese New Year celebration at Club Central Hurstville. As it is every year, it was a great day with lots of celebrations and fundraising for community groups. There were performers from Peking Opera and it was a terrific day. It was good to see Chief Abbess Man Ko there and of course the President of the BLIA, my friend Francis Wong. The BLIA does an enormous amount of work in our community. It makes very constructive contributions throughout Sydney and particularly in the St George region, and I do thank it again for having me along to its tremendous Chinese New Year event.