Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the outstanding environmental groups that operate within my electorate of Robertson at the southern end of the Central Coast in New South Wales. First and foremost are the brilliant volunteers that support Grow Urban Shade Trees, or GUST as it's colloquially known on the peninsula on the Central Coast. Their commitment to greening the Central Coast, especially my hometown of Umina Beach, does not go unnoticed throughout the community. To Debbie Sunartha, Melissa Chandler, Jennifer Wilder, Leslie Harvey and all the other volunteers of GUST, I want to pass on my sincere thanks for all the work that you do for our local environment on the Central Coast.

As many of the members in this chamber may know, highly urbanised communities are more susceptible to an environmental phenomenon called the urban heat island effect, which we see on the peninsula of the New South Wales Central Coast. The urban heat island effect is where heavily built-up areas tend to be hotter in temperature and less liveable than places that are not so built up. For example, on the Central Coast, Umina Beach is a built-up area, and, consequently, studies from the Central Coast Council and the Central Coast administration have shown that Umina Beach is one of the hottest areas on the coast, especially during those warmer periods of the year during those summer months.

To respond to this phenomenon, GUST is, and has been for the past several years, embarking on a campaign to green Umina Beach and, more broadly, the peninsula. That includes places like Woy Woy, Ettalong Beach, Blackwall, Pearl Beach, Patonga and Booker Bay. Generally, when you're driving down the road or you're on a bike or the footpath, GUST regularly facilitates tree-planting days to line otherwise treeless streets with native trees. With an increase in trees comes greater shade, obviously, but also greater biodiversity for the area, reducing the urban heat island effect and making Umina Beach and the peninsula not only cooler but also more liveable.

GUST also organises annual tree-planting projects on National Tree Day where local schools and the wider community get involved to plant and increase the vegetation in their suburbs. These projects have been great successes, and I note that trees planted in previous years along Brisbane Avenue in Umina Beach have grown so well they're now beginning to provide substantial shade to pedestrians and cyclists using the footpaths on those streets.

To mark National Tree Day this year, I helped students from my former primary school, Umina Beach Public School, plant several coastal banksias along Melbourne Avenue in Umina Beach. It was a great learning experience to have students get their hands dirty by digging holes, mulching, planting and watering those trees. Students were learning the importance of having tree canopy in communities for a range of reasons, including habitat for native animals, to provide shade and to provide clean oxygen, breathing air to the surrounding environment. It was a great way to teach students key life skills like collaboration, teamwork, listening and how using these skills helps complete a project. Principally, it was a fun and engaging exercise for all students involved, and I would like to thank Umina Beach Public School and GUST for organising and participating in National Tree Day 2023.

Moreover, GUST has been involved in the upgrade of Runway Park in Umina Beach, which has gone from a barren, open space to a green, inviting oasis—a big turnaround from what was initially, during the period of the Second World War, a runway for incoming Allied aircraft. This park now features pleasant pathways, exciting playground equipment and native garden beds to keep young minds occupied on even the hottest of days.

Not only does GUST plant more trees in the suburbs of my electorate; they also educate the community about proper tree-planting methods and the correct varieties of trees which are best suited for growing in our beautiful region that is the Central Coast. These activities are invaluable and strengthen biodiversity on the Central Coast, and I commend GUST and its volunteers for the work that they do in this area.

I would also like to update the parliament on a recent investment in my community's historical convict past. As many of you already know, on the Central Coast we have a well-preserved example of convict infrastructure in the form of several sandstone retaining walls that support the Old Great North Road in Wisemans Ferry. The Old Great North Road was used by European convicts in 1836 to travel between Sydney and Newcastle. Thanks to an $88,000 grant from round 5 of the Australian Heritage Grants program, the retaining walls at Devines Hill will get vital restoration works to ensure their longevity and preservation.

It was great to meet with representatives from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sarah and Sandy, who were able to show me around Devines Hill and explain to me how this funding will assist them with preserving some of our heritage on the Central Coast. I want to thank the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, for her department's support of this project in my electorate. I look forward to working with my community to continue to identify other historical projects that would benefit from federal government assistance.

Another environmental group in my electorate I wish to recognise is the Community Environment Network, or CEN. CEN is involved in a range of environmental work to protect, conserve and strengthen the unique biodiversity that exists on the Central Coast. For example, CEN undertakes bush regeneration programs across the region. It provides a team of professional bush regeneration workers that can complete weed eradication and control, undertake erosion management, identify threatened species, facilitate seed propagation and lead environmental education programs for people on the Central Coast. These services make a real impact and help safeguard the distinct environment on the Central Coast for future generations. CEN also regularly publishes media releases and newsletters that inform the community about current and upcoming campaigns to support environmental protection on the New South Wales Central Coast, including in my electorate of Robertson. I commend the amazing work that CEN do for the protection of the environment and marine ecosystems in my region, and I look forward to working in partnership with the organisation in the future.

Lastly, I would like to recognise the 3 Villages Community Group, who represent the suburbs of Saratoga, Davistown and Yattalunga. This organisation has been influential in securing federal government funding to improve open spaces such as the Jirramba Avenue community space in Saratoga. This upgrade included planting established trees, magnificent landscaping works and other environmental enhancements. The group also advocates on behalf of residents to protect the community from out-of-character development and other unwelcome projects that risk the villages' sensitive environmental areas.

Recently I joined with the 3 Villages Community Group to advocate for a much-needed upgrade to Saratoga Oval. As many people in Saratoga, Davistown and Yattalunga know, Saratoga Oval is susceptible to significant flooding issues following wet weather, and this presents a challenge for local sporting organisation. This is because the oval lacks any formal drainage system. Along with the community, I am calling on all levels of government—local, state and federal—to consider allocating support to prepare a detailed plan for an upgrade of this oval. I have launched an online petition and a hard-copy petition, and I'm calling on my community and those in the villages to support this campaign. To sign the petition, you can visit my website or you can contact my office and request a hard copy of that petition. I report to the parliament that to date 561 people have already signed this petition, but I do want to see more. To those who've already signed I want to say: thank you, and let's keep the momentum rolling so that Saratoga Oval can see a prosperous future.

I want to thank the driving forces behind the 3 Villages Community Group—Monique Roy, Stephanie Blower and Taia Sansom—for their ongoing community dedication and advocacy. I look forward to working alongside the 3 Villages Community Group to progress this much-needed upgrade and these environmental improvements for Saratoga Oval. To achieve this will ensure this open space not only is revitalised for the community but also becomes a whole place for the community to enjoy into the future.