Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Monbulk and district community bank awards night. It was a wonderful night, with over 40 community groups from Monbulk and the surrounding areas represented. I want to pay tribute to the board, who are all volunteers, and to Aimee and the team at the bank.

What is so special about community banks, and the Bendigo Bank, is that they give money back to the community. Seventy-seven thousand dollars was given in sponsorship and grants, in this round, for April 2024, including for the Monbulk scouts, Monbulk College, the Monbulk fire brigade and many more.

On the night, the bank also had tokens, and those in the community could put tokens in to support community groups. Over $25,000 was gifted to community groups at that time. The top three that were collecting the money were the Monbulk fire and rescue, the Emerald Monbulk Wildlife Shelter and the Monbulk Junior Football Club. There were many others—I don't have enough time to name them all.

I was talking to locals there about how that very much sums up the spirit of Monbulk, as to the emergency services. We, in the Dandenong Ranges, know how important it is to have great, reliable, volunteer emergency services. They were No. 1 and we paid tribute to them. As to the Emerald Monbulk Wildlife Shelter, the environment is crucial to the community in Casey, in the Dandenong Ranges and in Monbulk, so it's no surprise to see the shelter at No. 2. And then it was the Monbulk Junior Football Club. Sport plays a massive part of the community in Monbulk and all communities across Casey. Junior sport is so important to giving kids those valuable life lessons. Boys and girls can learn teamwork, spirit and the need to lose and to improve.

It was wonderful to be there. I really enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with my good friend, Jimmy Bras. I played soccer at Monbulk soccer club over 20 years ago now, and Jimmy was a legend of the club—one of the institutions there. It was great to see him, and he didn't look a day older than he did 20 years ago. Also, there was Leo Koelewyn. Jimmy and Leo were two of the founding members of the Bendigo bank, putting in their own time, money and effort. They've raised, and given back to the community, over a million dollars, it was announced.

We are so lucky to have community banks all across Casey: the Belgrave community bank, the community bank of Upwey, the Monbulk and district community bank, the Mooroolbark community bank, the community bank of Mount Evelyn, the Healesville community bank, the Woori Yallock and district community bank, the Wandin-Seville community bank, and also Community Bank Warburton and the community bank of Yarra Junction—all run by volunteer boards; all giving back significant money to the community. I've been so lucky over the past two years to talk to the Bendigo Bank volunteers and board members and see firsthand the contribution they make to our communities. So I say thank you to those people who, 20, 30 and 40 years ago, had the vision to start the Bendigo Bank and those who continue the tradition today.