Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've probably heard of a Men's Shed, but have you heard of a Women's Shed or a 'she shed'? I recently had the opportunity to catch up with some of the ladies from the Biggenden Women's Shed. This terrific group connect, create and thrive, creating a connected community and a welcoming space where local women can pursue a variety of recreational and personal development activities. It's a safe place for women to focus on their needs and build supportive friendships with women of all life stages and backgrounds.

This shed is the first of its kind in the region, with members coming from a variety of communities. It was lovely to catch up with these fantastic ladies and hear about their exciting plans to develop a space of their own for local women to utilise and their need for fencing and gates to surround their shed. That's something I will be fighting for as the member for Flynn. One of the issues they brought up with me is that Women's Sheds can apply for general community funding grants but have no funding programs specifically for them such as Men's Sheds. The Minister for Women, Ms Gallagher, has been silent on this issue.

Women's Sheds matter, and that is why I'm calling on the Labor government to support Women's Sheds in the same way that Men's Sheds are supported. Women's Sheds matter.