Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your elevation to the speakership. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the great things happening in the community of Forde, because one of the privileges in this place is being able to celebrate and speak about the good things that are happening in our community that our media frequently fail to report. Our region is home to some tremendous people, businesses and community organisations that go above and beyond to help others be creative, represent our country and most of all be outstanding citizens.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Norfolk Village State School at Ormeau to take part in one of the great sporting clinics they run as part of the federal government's $100 million Sporting Schools program. I would like to recognise our sports minister Sussan Ley for the tremendous job she has done with this program. It encourages young people to be healthy and active and to try different sports. For the program's official launch I dropped in to catch up with Principal Chris Capra, Lee Harrington from Golf Queensland and former LPGA champion and international representative Rachel Hetherington. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to gain some expert tips from one of Australia's best female golfers—and she also said my swing was not bad either. Maybe there is hope for me yet. There were some great little golfers amongst the Norfolk Village students and it was a positive sign to see them turn up so early, before school, and excited about trying out a different sport.

Overall, the Sporting Schools program has been well received in the Forde community, with some 21 primary schools taking part. I also recently had the opportunity to attend Park Ridge State High School, which has a reputation for being an AFL school of excellence—but they will also soon become known for producing some top scientific minds with the opening of the Logan Scenic Rim Trade Training Centre. It was a pleasure to be invited along to the centre's official opening recently and I must commend their catering students for putting on a tremendous lunch for the occasion. The centre was built with a $3 million contribution from the federal government, and I was very pleased to officially open the new centre on behalf of our Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Scott Ryan. I had the opportunity to tour the new centre following the official opening and meet some of the students utilising the new laboratory and testing lab. Skills training at secondary school provides a great basis for students to pursue further training after school. It was exciting to see so many students making the most of the new facilities and, who knows—I may have met the next Marie Curie or Alfred Nobel.

The Hyperdome Early Education Centre and pre-school have taken the health and wellbeing of their kids to another level, thinking outside the square when it comes to encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle. I visited the centre recently to see some of the great things they are doing to ensure their kids are healthy, happy and enjoying physical activity. The centre have not only hired a personal trainer once a month to teach basic skills like kicking, throwing and jumping but also they have a chef on board to provide healthy lunches and snacks every day. The result is healthy, happy kids who are excited about trying different food, playing outside and learning new things. I would like to commend the whole team and centre director Cherie Graham for providing an excellent service to the families of Logan and encouraging healthy habits as part of the early learning process.

The winter recess provided a great opportunity to visit many of Forde's businesses. One business that is booming in our region is Frosty Boy, and I could not resist the opportunity to become an ice-cream taste tester for a day. On serious note, this Australian company, which started operation in 1976, now distributes product to 48 countries, with exports representing 75 per cent of sales. Those sales represent two million soft-serve ice-creams around the world each and every day. I wish them every success with the future growth of their business.