Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since 2013 I have had the honour of holding a contract of service and advocacy with the people of Gilmore. This is an extraordinary electorate, and has some of the most incredible people. From the early days as the candidate in 2012 and then as the elected member, I have been privileged to work for these wonderful people, sometimes on a personal level, for issues of individual trauma or frustration, and at other times advocating for community groups or national initiatives.

There have been some terrific funding rollouts. The election commitments for road safety, including $2 million for Turpentine Road and $10 million for the design work and feasibility studies for the Shoalhaven River bridge, were part of a $15 million dollar package to improve road safety for the region. I have continued to lobby for roads funding in Gilmore through the Black Spot program. This includes upgrades to Jervis Bay Road, the planned replacement of Duck Creek bridge, safety barriers on the highway at Kiama and a roundabout in Sanctuary Point. Safety improvements have also been made on Bolong Road and Kangaroo Valley Road.

Road safety has been, and will continue to be, a priority for me as I work to address more Black Spot road locations. However, the projects that have generated the greatest sense of achievement are the ones that were almost defunded. It was with a sense of joy that I called the Bay and Basin Community Resources centre to let them know their Men's Shed, Community Hub and youth project had had their funding extended. It was similar with our fantastic Shoalhaven Youth Volunteering Initiative, which inspires so many of our local youth to join the RFS, SES or Surf Life Saving, when I told them of their funding extension, after countless hours of phone calls to the minister.

The ANZAC Centenary projects were an outstanding collaborative effort from across the community that generated exhibitions, displays and new commemorative structures around the electorate. These included rock structures at Gerringong headland and Shell Cove Public School, the In Memory display, honouring our Indigenous ANZAC diggers, which is now on permanent display in Nowra. There were also improvements to memorials walls and monuments in Ulladulla, Sussex Inlet and Huskisson and a wonderful re-enactment of the Waratah March from Nowra through to Gerringong. I was honoured to participate in that event.

Many of Gilmore's RSL sub-branches have also received funding through the Saluting their Service grants, resulting in a number of commemorative structures and plaque upgrades. Encouraging the youth in Gilmore to get involved and active has been a focus, and directing $300,000 towards new outdoor facilities has had a direct impact. Watching the skateboarders in Yulunga and Sanctuary Point, as well as the young cycle riders on the Learn to Ride facility at Shoalhaven Heads, made my heart sing. They were happy, excited and no longer sitting inside playing on iPads and other devices.

The young boxers at the PCYC also benefited from new equipment, after receiving a $10,000 grant early last year. The facilities at some of our schools have amazed me, with the new facilities for drama, music and food technology at Shellharbour Anglican School promising some great benefits to the students. The South Coast Trades Skills Centre at that school will allow secondary school students to earn qualifications in horticulture, construction and electro-technology.

The greening of Gilmore has continued, with more than 30 Green Army projects underway or completed throughout the region. Our Landcare groups also received additional funding for projects ranging from the dairy industry to fishing to conservation activities for local landowners. I have really enjoyed visiting some of these sites to meet the participants and to see the work that they are doing and the difference they are making.

Community safety and security is important to everyone in Gilmore, and the rollout of CCTV cameras in Bomaderry, East Nowra, Kiama and Sanctuary Point has been very worthwhile. Each village was chosen because there had been incidents of armed hold-ups. The residents and businesses alike are relieved and pleased with the federal government investment—they now have a safe shopping neighbourhood.

Being the elected member is not just about getting funding for the electorate, although that is important. It is also about the needs of individuals and the responsibility for the direction of our nation. It is gratifying to sort out individual problems for someone with an immigration issue or a conflict with the ATO. There is also advocating for the people living in Gilmore with national policy initiatives. I lobbied hard for the shingles vaccine to be part of the PBS. After the therapeutic goods approval process, advocacy was needed for PBS listing. The minister informed me on the morning of public release that the shingles vaccine would be available for 70- to 79-year-olds in 2016. I actively lobbied the minister for continued funding for universal access to preschool for every child in Australia and secured funding for MIND the GaP—an initiative that brings together a range of mental health services and research on the Shoalhaven university campus, in cooperation with Lifeline.

It is my intention to seek approval from the people of Gilmore to renew this contract of service and advocacy. There is much that still needs to be done. Our bridge needs to be built, our roads must be further developed and there must be more work opportunities for our youth. We have to do this within a framework of a strengthened and more confident economic outlook. (Time expired)