Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In January this year I visited Lismore, in New South Wales. Every time I go to Lismore, I'm struck by the resilience and the camaraderie that characterises this town and the spirit that they've all relied on to rebuild after the floods in 2022. This time I had the privilege of meeting members of the Lismore Lions Club. This is a group that was formed in 1947 just after the war, and it is a core and active participant in the community of Lismore. I rise to thank them for their dedicated efforts in helping the community rebuild after those devastating floods.

Here are just a couple of examples of their contributions. Immediately following the floods, the Lions Club provided cooked meals for breakfasts and lunches for 34 days for those community members without access to a food supply or the ability to prepare food or cook for themselves. They provided fruit, water and snacks for the workers that were involved in the clean-up in the city, and they delivered sandwiches and water to those businesses in the industrial areas. But it became obvious to them that more was going to be needed and for a lot longer, and so they raised over $550,000 to assist people in re-establishing their homes. Their initial efforts provided beds, mattresses, fridges and washing machines, and they've expanded that support to include furniture, electrical equipment, fans and heater installations, and vouchers for household items and food purchases. They've collaborated with all of these other organisations across Lismore and are now receiving referrals from Resilient Lismore and the Lismore City Council recovery centre.

I simply want to thank them. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Lions Club and their members for their extraordinary efforts in responding to these floods and helping the people in their community when they needed it most.