Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have to be curious when you see an email from a group called Project Bucephalus asking you to support a MINDSTORMS event. Under the guidance of Lyndell and Andrew Clark, a number of my students in Gilmore have competed in a LEGO robotics competition at our local university campus.

Last Saturday was the regional championship, where there were about 20 teams, from Moruya to Sutherland, participating in a robot-building tournament. The competition is fundamentally a robotics joust, with LEGO construction robots. For two years now, I have been sponsoring students from Gilmore to attend these robotics camps because it is an unusual opportunity for them. Last year, the four students I put through were Dominic Ivanovski, Estelle Hancox, Madilyne Pride and Joel Mion. I am so proud of them.

The atmosphere at the competition on Saturday at the site was exhilarating, exciting and inspiring. The member for Cunningham, Sharon Bird, and I presented certificates and LEGO-constructed trophy cups to the winning teams for activities such as collaboration, creativity, effectiveness and overall points. Then the teams going forward from the regional tournament were announced. The state tournament will be held at Macquarie University. The actual announcement was made in an atmosphere that was absolutely electric.

I am very proud to note that the young people from the robotics players with Project Bucephalus are one of the teams that will be taking their talents forward in the robotics competition, and I wish them all the very best.