Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Wednesday last week I had a group of young people come to the office and receive their Young Sporting Champions grants. This is a fantastic program that sees young people assisted when they compete at state and national level. Those that received Young Sporting Champion grants were: Christine Connell from Warners Bay, for swimming; Dylan Gisby from Eleebana, also for swimming; Elisa Gisby, for swimming; Amelia Gellatly from Valentine, for swimming; Jye Pastourmoglou for lifesaving; Jesse Smith for lifesaving also; Mitchell Meares for tenpin bowling in the Special Olympics; Jack Curran from Caves Beach, for swimming; Isabelle Field from Belmont, for swimming; Piper Lovett from Marks Point, for netball; Sarah Pickering from Belmont North, for athletics; and Jessica Potts from Valentine, for touch football.

The swimmers are all from the swimming club at Warners Bay. Unfortunately, at the same time as this presentation was taking place, one of the other young swimmers from the club was hit by a car and lost her life crossing the road near Warners Bay Public School. I would like to put on the record my support for putting in place lights to make that crossing safer for young people. (Time expired)

Stronger Communit y Partnership Grants

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's Stronger Community Partnership Grants have provided $300,000 over two years to every electorate in the country. In Bennelong, I assembled a local infrastructure committee to ensure these grants go where they can do the most good for our community. Perhaps no grant has exemplified this more than the $20,000 we have provided for the installation of a wheelchair ramp at the excellent Karonga School in Epping.

Karonga offers education programs for students with special needs, from the early years through to the end of high school, caring for every part of the students' development. Physical activity is a very important part of this. They have a fully equipped playground for people with disabilities, but the sports fields and the tennis courts were out of bounds for many because of the lack of a wheelchair ramp. This prevented many students from accessing the sporting facilities, which I believe are essential to young minds and bodies.

As a result of the Stronger Community Partnership Grant and some great leaders at the school, this ramp will now be provided, and these students will have full access to the sports facilities of the school. I would like to thank the principal, Mark Gosbell, and everyone involved for making this ramp a reality.