Trevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to dedicate one of my first speeches in this parliament to the importance of the local organisations, clubs, associations and groups in the electorate of Brisbane, and to pledge my commitment and support to their tireless efforts in our Brisbane community.

While there are many challenges, issues and concerns in the community, one of the most inspiring things I have discovered so far about being a member of parliament is that you get to see the great work being done by so many local community groups, local schools, clubs, organisations and volunteers. It truly does give me great faith in our future. The Brisbane Broncos is one of the biggest local clubs in the Brisbane electorate. During the federal election, the Turnbull government and I committed $2 million to the club and its centre of excellence in Red Hill. I want to place on the record my views on why this funding is so important.

The Brisbane Broncos Leagues Club has more than 40,000 members, and it is an important part of the Red Hill community, providing exceptional community facilities, and employment and training opportunities. Its centre of excellence and the programs it supports help people from all around Queensland, including a particular emphasis on outreach to indigenous and remote communities.

The funding will be provided to ensure better integration of the Broncos's facilities into the local community, better community access and enhanced amenities in the area for local residents. More specifically, the funding will kick-start a number of very important projects in the Broncos precinct, including rehabilitation of the nearby Ithaca creek, tree planting, better surfacing and lighting of streets, more bike paths and footpaths, including connectivity with other local tracks, improved landscaping and public car parks. Also included in the project funding is the construction of a fitness park and a spectator stand.

The funding will help to create a facility that will be truly accessibly to locals in Red Hill, Paddington, Ashgrove, surrounding suburbs and, indeed, greater Brisbane. Building community access to the Broncos' world-class facilities while protecting and improving our local environment is good news for all of Brisbane.

The Turnbull coalition are dedicated to building stronger communities across Australia. When we announced our commitment during the campaign, in the background behind us, behind the press pack, was a dad and his son from the local community, just kicking around a footy on world-class facilities. That is precisely what this is all about. This is an ideal example of the government working collaboratively with community partners to create better outcomes for everyday people right across Brisbane. By investing in projects such as this, the government can improve lifestyles, improve recreation and fitness outcomes, build stronger communities, improve local property prices and deliver local jobs and local growth.

This government has a long history of supporting local clubs and a proud history of supporting the Broncos in particular. The Brisbane Broncos are themselves practising this ethos of investing in our community. Just last week at the NRL Community Awards, the club was awarded the NRL Club Community Program of the Year for their Beyond The Broncos program. The Beyond The Broncos program aims to improve school attendance rates and year 12 attainment rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in 10 high schools across the greater Brisbane region. A dedicated team of Broncos' Indigenous support staff provide one-on-one mentoring support, encouragement and motivation for students to achieve maximum school attendance, effort and behaviour and, ultimately, to complete year 12.

This year, the program supports around 300 students in years 10 to 12. It is programs just like this that strengthen our community. I would like to congratulate the club chairman, Dennis Watt; the CEO, Paul White; all of the players; and the staff for their tireless efforts and dedication to the Brisbane community. I congratulate the Broncos on their performance this season and on the class and the guts they showed during the finals, especially in their final match—that nail-biting semifinal match against the Cowboys. I look forward to continuing to work hard with them in the future, including making these projects a reality. Finally, I look forward to working equally hard for so many other great community organisations, sporting clubs, schools, groups and volunteers right across Brisbane.