Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am rising in this place to encourage Ryan residents to get involved in National Tree Day this Sunday, 28 July. It is Australia's largest community tree-planting day. I know how important it is to Ryan residents that we protect our national environment. The local residents love their green and leafy suburbs, as I do. We spoke during the recent election in particular about protecting our lifestyle locally. It is not just a slogan but a call to arms to roll up our sleeves as a community, and planting trees for our local community is a big part of that.

National Tree Day, founded in 1996, has grown to Australia's largest community tree-planting event, and we are aiming to plant, together, as a nation, over one million native trees and shrubs across the country. I will be part of it. Those community residents who take part will be part of the 300,000 volunteers who are getting out this weekend to engage in activities, along with school students tomorrow, on Friday.

I'd like to promote two local events within the community and encourage people to get along: first of all, Nature Freedom, a not-for-profit social enterprise organisation for young people with disabilities, is getting involved in National Tree Day. They are working with Habitat Brisbane and Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network for an inclusive tree-planting event. This will occur at Handle Street Park near UQ Long Pocket Campus on Sunday from 8 am.

The other event happening in our local community is at Hilder Road State School on Sunday, 28 July, from 10 am to 3 pm. This is more of a community event, organised by Hilder Road State School, working with Save Our Waterways Now and Paten Park Native Nursery, along with the support of Brisbane City Council. They have organised an amazing day of performances and planting, a wildlife show, and stalls and food for everyone. So that will be exciting to be part of. I will be at both those events over the course of the day on Sunday, as I participated in these events in previous years in my role as a local councillor, when we were part of a Brisbane City Council administration that helped plant some two million trees across Brisbane.

We have so much natural beauty in our electorate of Ryan, particularly Mount Coot-Tha and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and some tremendous local groups that I want to pay tribute to who help us look after that local environment, including but not limited to: the Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network, Pullen Pullen Catchments Group, Moggill Creek Catchment Group and Save Our Waterways Now. I conclude by encouraging very much local residents to be part of these two events or any event they'd like to be part of on Sunday to help us protect our local environment. Join with me, roll up your sleeves and let's work together to make sure our suburbs stay green and leafy and to protect our local lifestyle.