David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Bonny Hills local Kai McKenzie. Many of you have probably heard in the news about 23-year-old Kai's horrific experience on 23 June, when he was attacked by a 10-foot-long great white shark while surfing at nearby Port Macquarie. Kai was not only able to fight the shark off; he made it back to shore—but, sadly, not before his severed leg was lost. It was nothing short of a miracle that among the passers-by who came to Kai's rescue was a retired police officer walking his dog. His quick thinking saw him tourniquet Kai's leg with the dog's leash, effectively stemming the bleeding and saving Kai's life.

Kai has demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in his recovery, and he's vowing to make his return to the ocean and surfing. A GoFundMe page has been started to raise money to support Kai in his recovery, and, so far, $173,000 out of the $250,000 target has been raised. I and the rest of the community wish Kai a very speedy recovery and extend our best wishes for the future.

I'd also like to congratulate the team at Hawks Nest IGA, who have taken out the 2024 IGA National Small Grocery and Perishables Department of the Year award. It's a really significant achievement for the Hawks Nest IGA team, who beat out competing grocers and supermarkets, large and small, from across the state and country.

The Lyne electorate has a lot of talented sports people, several of whom did really well at the 2024 Australian Surf Riding Championships, which were held at North Haven beach recently. Approximately 300 athletes from far and wide descended on the area to compete across bodyboard, shortboard and para surfing titles. Of the 300 competitors, three Lyne locals had great success. I'd like to congratulate Hardy Fletcher, who took out the under-14s Australian bodyboard championship; Archer Thoms, who was crowned the under-16s bodyboard champion; and Damien Kelly, who secured a podium finish, placing third in the over-35s shortboard titles.

On another note, I'd like to extend my gratitude to Caron Watkins for her 23 years of unwavering commitment and tireless service to Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services. Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services provide invaluable and tangible support to our community, and I know that many of the incredible services that they offer and the many thousands of people they have helped would not be possible without Caron's dedication. Well done, again, Caron.