Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last December, Arthur Maloney was recognised for his service to our community with the Premier's lifetime volunteer award for 55 years of community service. Arthur has been a boxing coach since he was 18 years of age, when he took over from his father. He has been a mentor for many young people in our community and helped them to develop a sense of self worth and self-confidence, and he has always tried to guide young people in the right direction.

As I said, he started coaching in Lismore at 18 years of age. He went on to coach in Casino for 10 years from 1967 to 1977, and then he returned to Lismore. Recently he was approached to start coaching at the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre. Arthur is a life member of the Far North Coast Amateur Boxing Association. I would like to congratulate and thank Arthur on the great work he does for young people in our region. Just as an aside, Arthur used to do this for nothing; he now charges people $2 a session for this. So thank you, Arthur.

I would like to congratulate 11-year-old Adrion Gibson, who, as a member of the Grafton Cub Scouts, has just earned the Cubs' highest award, the grey wolf. These awards are so hard to get that the regional commissioner had to travel from Kempsey to present Adrion with the grey wolf award. Adrion joined the Cubs two years ago, and is only the third member of the Grafton Cub Scouts to earn this prestigious award after much hard work. He had to earn four level 2 achievement badges and organise a hike for his troop, which included a risk assessment—not bad for a boy who was just 10 when he completed this task! Well done, Adrion.

I would like to thank one of Lismore's legendary Betteridge twins, 84-year-old Emily. She has just retired from fundraising for the Westpac rescue helicopter after more than 34 years. Emily and her sister Mary started fundraising to get the lifesaving helicopter in Lismore before it was even established in 1982. Their first efforts raised $74, and they have been undeterred ever since. Health issues have now forced Emily to give up her regular volunteering roles. She leaves the helicopter service in good hands; it now has about 480 volunteers across the northern rivers. Between them they have raised $3 million, and the rescue helicopter has saved countless lives. At a special morning tea in Emily's honour this week, the chairman of Lismore heli-base, Warren Tozer OAM—and congratulations on that, Warren—said, 'We have always needed community support to make it happen, and it is people like Emily who understood that from the early stage.' Thank you, Emily; you have left an amazing legacy.