Trevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australia Day honours give us an opportunity to reflect on some of the great achievements and contributions made by some extraordinary Australians. That includes some amazing people in our community in Brisbane. The honourable Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine Holmes was made a Companion of the Order of Australia this Australia Day, one of only 35 such appointments made each year, for her eminent service to the judiciary. Another special honour, for his distinguished service to the parliament of Queensland and to local government, as the former Premier and former Brisbane Lord Mayor respectively, went to Campbell Newman, who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Vicki McDonald, the CEO of the State Library of Queensland, was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to librarianship and professional associations. We have a vibrant and thriving arts community in Brisbane, and Emily Cox and Dr Robert MacPherson were made Members of the Order of Australia for their significant service to the performing arts and visual arts respectively.

Of the recipients of the Order of Australia Medal around Brisbane on Australia Day this year, a special shout-out goes to Mr Neville Bell of the Brisbane Racing Club. He received his medal for services to horseracing and the community. Representing an amazing Brisbane charity, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, founders of Orange Sky Australia, were both medal recipients for their service to people experiencing homelessness and vulnerability. Mr Allan Tennent was awarded a medal for his service to emergency response organisations. Another to receive an OAM was Pastor Lance Mergard, for his service to the community through social welfare organisations, notably the wonderful organisation ChaplainWatch, and I note that their Purple and White Ball is coming up in Brisbane in a couple of weeks time. For his service to the multicultural community in Queensland, Mr Umesh Chandra, somebody that we see at community events right across Brisbane all of the time, also received an Order of Australia Medal. Dr John Quinn was awarded an OAM thanks to his service to research science in the field of plant systemics. And Mr Robert Wildermuth was awarded his medal for service to the building and construction industry.

These are some amazing people making Brisbane an even better place in which to live, work, play and retire. We wish them all the very best for the future and we congratulate them for all of the efforts that they've made in recent years and over their careers. On behalf of all of the residents of Brisbane, I congratulate them and all of the other very worthy recipients in the Australia Day honours list.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.