Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For 35 years we've been celebrating National Volunteers Week in Australia, and, for all of the time that I've been the member for Port Adelaide and Hindmarsh, I've commemorated that in a volunteer award ceremony in my electorate. So many groups—religious organisations, sporting clubs, and many other community service organisations—are only able to do the great work they do because of the time, energy, love and skills that literally thousands of volunteers contribute in my electorate, and I know that is seen right across the country.

I always recognise young volunteers who start their life volunteering and, overwhelmingly, continue that effort right through the rest of their lives. There were five winners of the youth awards that were awarded last month: Louis Gregg, who is a coach at the Adelaide Jaguars Women's Soccer Club, a terrific club in Adelaide; Theodore Koutsoubis, who volunteers as an altar server at the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Port Adelaide and has been doing that since he was about six or seven years of age; Jai Gardener, who has got an extraordinary record already with the Henley Surf Life Saving Club; Jayasri Panthuri, who volunteers with the Telugu Association of South Australia, including by doing great fundraising for bushfire emergency relief work; and Kashvi Velidandla, who volunteers for that same association.

I also have always recognised local legends, volunteers who go above and beyond. They're nominated by the club or the organisation for which they volunteer. It's hard to pick five out of our electorate. There are dozens of them who receive awards every single year. I just want to mention the five who were nominated for particular recognition: David Wass, who volunteers at the Camden Community Centre's Woodwork Shed and supervises the men's shed in that organisation; Rose Darling, who runs Chats, a terrific service in Port Adelaide that supports people who are experiencing homelessness; Melanie Carter, a dedicated long-term volunteer, particularly in the environmental sector in my community, who works with the Port Environment Centre and the Friends of Taperoo Dunes group; Judy Finck, the vice president and long-time umpire, coach and volunteer at the St Michael and All Angels Netball Club and a real character in that club; and Satyanarayana Seelam, who has been associated with the Telugu Association for over 10 years. He has served in pretty much every role there is within that association.

I really want to thank all of the volunteers for the time, love, energy, dedication and skills that they contribute to those organisations and thank the organisations themselves for taking time to think about who really deserves an award this year. I look forward to the ceremony again next year.