Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I received a package from The Hills School that contained an invitation to meet students in Canberra, two packets of spice mix—Italian seasoning and piri-piri—and a recipe for risotto. At the beginning of the year, students from The Hills School began a work enterprise called Gili Spice to finance an excursion to Canberra. Gili is the Dharug word for 'shine' and also the name of their class. The students travel to Sydney Markets to purchase bulk spices, which they package into smaller packets for sale. This enterprise has not only allowed the children to travel to Canberra but has also helped in the development of communication, social and safety skills.

The Hills School caters for children from kindergarten to year 12 who have a moderate or severe intellectual disability, which may include physical disability, sensory impairment, or autism spectrum disorder. Students travel up to 25 kilometres to attend the Northmead school, but many live in my electorate of Parramatta. Next month, students will travel to Canberra with teacher Paul Hughes and a few parents on a three-day excursion to visit the Mint, the Australian War Memorial, Questacon and Parliament House. It is a shame I will miss the students on their trip to Canberra. For some of these year 7 students, it will be the first time they spend a night away from home. I hope they have an excellent trip to Canberra. I thank them for the spices and wish them all the best for the future.