Mr Robert:

Next month Paradise Point parkrun will celebrate its eighth birthday. I'm honoured today to recognise this wonderful community group and its volunteers for their hard work in delivering this beloved Saturday tradition for almost a decade. Parkrun is a free community event held Australia-wide every Saturday, where participants complete a timed five-kilometre run, jog or walk. There are currently 479 parkruns around Australia, and everyone is welcome to get involved.

The parkrun movement is a positive, welcoming and inclusive community, and that's what makes it so special. As a local councillor, I had the pleasure of establishing the Paradise Point parkrun back in 2015. I have proudly watched its growth over the last eight years. I had the honour of participating in the very first Paradise Point parkrun in October 2015, along with 344 other enthusiastic participants. I have a total of 87 parkruns to my name, and, to illustrate that anyone can participate, my personal best is a modest 26 minutes and 48 seconds. But, literally, it's not about the clock. There is no better way to start the weekend with a run or walk and a catch-up with friends in the community. I'm also proud to say that my successor as the counsellor for division 4, Counsellor Shelley Curtis, is also a parkrunner, albeit that she is much faster than I could ever dream of being.

Paradise Point boasts an average of 205 parkrunners of all ages each week. Stretching along the beautiful Paradise Point foreshore and overlooking the Broadwater, the Paradise Point parkrun is iconic and attracts visitors from near and far each week. It is truly the best parkrun in Australia.

Not only does parkrun offer a regular and free event to engage the community, it also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle, helps build new friendships and positive connections in the community. Most importantly, Paradise Point parkrun is free. It's delivered exclusively by volunteers. In the eight years of Paradise Point parkrun more than 664 individuals have put up their hand to volunteer their time and support the community. To each and every one of the volunteers, I say thank you.

I would like to say a special thank you to Tony Sutton-Yeomans, who was there from the start; a former event director of seven years and now parkrun ambassador, Sally Cameron; and the current event director, Rae Carlson-Turnwald, and the team of volunteers who dedicate hours behind the scenes each week and every week to deliver this beloved community event. Congratulations to Paradise Point parkrun on eight years, and all the best for the years to come.