Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take the opportunity to speak about some very important events that took place in my electorate during the recent parliamentary recess. I want to start by congratulating the Corpus Christi Community Greenvale on the official opening of their newly redeveloped complex for homeless men. In doing so, can I acknowledge the tireless efforts of the chairperson of Corpus Christi Community board, Mr Bernie Cronin, who has in his seven-year tenure tenaciously advocated for this redevelopment on behalf of his community. The residents and staff of Corpus Christi Community are very lucky indeed to have such a strong, compassionate voice batting for them. I was very pleased to attend the official opening that was held on Tuesday 1 October, and the community celebrated with great joy.

The $24 million redevelopment project was made possible with funding of $12 million from the Australian government, and on behalf of the Corpus Christi Community I want to thank the then minister Mitch Fifield for his assistance in this matter. The government's $12 million funding was matched by Villa Maria Catholic Homes, and I want to formally acknowledge Julien O'Connell, the chair of the VCMH Board, and Sonya Smart, the CEO, for overseeing this generous contribution. I also want to thank the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and the former archbishop, Denis Hart, who supported this project. I also acknowledge the Most Reverend Peter Comensoli, the Archbishop of Melbourne, who took time out of his busy schedule to give the official blessing of the site on the day.

For the past 40 years the Corpus Christi Community, Greenvale, opened by Mother Teresa herself, has provided accommodation and support to older men over the age of 50 with a history of homelessness, addiction or complex health needs. This new redevelopment will build on the important work they do in assisting some of the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community. This new redevelopment of the Corpus Christi Community Greenvale building will house 90 beds for men who experience homelessness or are at risk of homelessness and offer them a safe, secure and independent lifestyle in a caring and vibrant community.

Last week was Gambling Harm Awareness Week. I had the opportunity to speak at the Meadow Heights Education Centre during a day of events aimed at raising awareness about the direct and indirect impacts of gambling harm to individuals, their families and the community. I want to thank Nader Hanna, the manager of Meadow Heights Education Centre, for hosting this very important event. I also want to thank Tony Clarkson, the Principal Clinical Adviser of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, for speaking to my constituents. I also want to thank Arabic Welfare's Abir Melhem and Dalia El Sharnouby for all their work in organising this event.

Gambling and the use of poker machines is a growing area of expenditure for locals in my electorate, with over $300,000 per day spent on pokies in the Hume area. The serious effects of gambling impacts not only the finances of an individual but also through the loss of physical and mental health, the breakdown of relationships, work performance and self-esteem. The consequences of gambling are devastating to the individual and to those around them and, yet, this is still an issue that we've had to contend with for many, many years and have not managed to overcome.

Another very big thing happened in Broadmeadows this month. I want to congratulate the Hume City Council on the completion of the redevelopment of the Broadmeadows Town Hall. It's great to see the newly rebuilt Town Hall Broadmeadows take its place, once again, as the iconic building in Broadmeadows. It's a magnificent and elegant building combining and incorporating modern architectural settings with the charm and grace of its original old world design. I do hope that our local community will enjoy using this beautiful space. In fact, last Friday night I attended the recommencement of the Hume Charity Ball hosted by the Mayor Carly Moore and it was, indeed, a great pleasure and we had a great night celebrating in a fabulous space for our community.

It was the Hon. Arthur Calwell, the Labor opposition leader at the time and Australia's first Minister for Immigration, who officially opened the original Broadmeadows Town Hall and office block back in November 1964. Some 20 years later, in 1984, the electorate of Calwell was founded, which, of course, I have the privilege of representing in this House. I want to congratulate my community on this latest new addition to our community.