Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Volunteering is such an important pillar of Australian society, and adds so much to individuals and to our local community. At the 2011 census, almost 20 per cent of all Australians said they volunteered—worth more than $20 billion to the Australian economy. I want to acknowledge a volunteer group in my electorate. Reach is a group of 60 high school students, led by uni students, that is making a real difference in Tangney by volunteering their time and effort. It is so impressive to see young people actively searching out ways to help others in our local community. They will do just about anything to help the community, including volunteering at soup kitchens, mowing lawns, being involved with Youth With a Mission and participating in Relay For Life, and they have also created art pieces for a local nursing home. I enjoyed catching up with Reach and the Friends of Bull Creek Catchment earlier this year. I was scheduled to help plant trees, but their enthusiasm was so great and they had worked so hard, that by the time I arrived, the job had already been done. I congratulate Reach and their army of young goodwill volunteers, and I encourage more young people in Tangney to get involved and make our community an even better place to live.