Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to pay credit to Windale Men's Shed. Windale Men's Shed was one of the first men's sheds established in Australia, and it has been a role model for other sheds throughout Australia. The Australian Men's Shed Association grew out of Windale Men's Shed, and I would like to give particular credit to David Helmers, who is now the CEO of the Australian Men's Shed Association and also Lake Macquarie Citizen of the Year; and to Roger Greenham and Don Spence, who recently passed away. All these people have worked very hard to see the Windale Men's Shed and AMSA become very viable organisations. It is because of the hard work that they have put in that there are a plethora of Men's Sheds in the Shortland electorate. There is the Swansea Men's Shed, the San Remo Men's Shed, the Belmont Men's Shed, the Redhead Men's Shed and, soon to be operating, the Mannering Park Men's Shed.

I call on the government to give ongoing support to the Windale Men's Shed, particularly at this time, when they are looking at increasing their operations, along with AMSA. AMSA must stay. Without AMSA, the Men's Shed movement is in danger of collapsing.