Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to highlight the success and incredible community spirit of the Galston and District Bank, a branch of the Bendigo Bank, in my electorate of Berowra. This week, the Galston branch of the Bendigo Bank celebrates 15 years of operation. Since opening in 2002, it has given over $1.6 million in dividends to community shareholders and donated over $2 million in scholarships to support local community groups. Of that $2 million, 47 per cent has gone to schools in our community to support the future of our children.

Some of the schools that have benefited from Bendigo Bank's generosity are Arcadia Public School, which received high-speed network cabling across the school; Galston Public School, where $15,000 went towards the installation of interactive whiteboards; Galston High School, which have received over $100,000 in support towards the construction of a new semi-commercial kitchen and sponsorship of the school's Young Endeavour program; and Clarke Road School, a school in Hornsby that educates children living with a disability—Galston branch dedicated $27,000 towards their Communication Passport Project and is working to secure the long-term financial future of that project.

I would like to thank the directors of the Galston branch for their incredible dedication to the community: Michael Beardsell, Robert Pullen, Ralph Steele, Dennis Phillips, Diana Paton, Sheena Daley, Gavin Koorey and Jackie Pakinga. And I would like to thank Gary Mangan, the branch manager, who was kind enough to show me around his branch earlier this month.

The Galston branch of the Bendigo Bank likes to say, 'We're a community bank and we're mighty proud to be one.' Well, I think it is safe to say that our community is mighty proud of them, too.