Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to speak today about the Geraldton City Speedway. The Geraldton City Speedway was established in 1964 by a group of Geraldton revheads, originally racing on a block of land they leased north of the Geraldton airport. The speedway remained there for two years, until the property owner leased out the land for cropping—when all of the community-minded members got together and contributed to purchase the eight-hectare block in Moonyoonooka, where the speedway remains today. Led by president Mike Doble and his dedicated team—which includes his wife Kim, who is the secretary of the club—the speedway has grown significantly over the last few years, attracting more spectators, members and sponsors. So much so that I am very proud to say that I am a sponsor of the Junior Sedans class this season, supporting young Mid West motoring enthusiasts with their passion.

Geraldton speedway's last meeting was a roaring success with over 2,000 people watching the largest field of sprint cars ever seen in Geraldton, with 29 drivers putting their pedal to the metal. The meeting was so successful that it attracted international names, including world speedway grand prix champion, Tai Woffinden, who competed in his first competitive sprintcar meeting, as well as the four-time WA Open Sprintcar Champion. This is yet another example of the great quality events organised in Durack, attracting major stars to the Mid West. That is what I call innovation by a great grassroots Durack organisation. Geraldton speedway hosts a number of state titles from junior divisions to sprintcars, with the V8 Dirt Modified State Titles up for grabs on 27 February. It is expected that this will attract a number of interstate drivers, and the current national titleholder, which is a fantastic boon for this community-based organisation.

Before Christmas, the speedway held a round in tribute of a member who had lost his battle with depression, raising a fantastic $2,600 toward men's mental health projects in the Mid West. Supported by hardworking mental health worker Glen Fleeton, the speedway teamed up with Mr Fleeton a couple of days before Christmas to hold a mental health stall on Marine Terrace in Geraldton providing people with information about who to talk to and where to go to get help to discuss men's mental health issues. I commend the work of Mr Fleeton and the speedway to the House. It is a fantastic community organisation that is supporting more than just people driving cars fast.

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In 2001 Barbara and Ralph Harris placed nine hectares of their Glenning Valley property under a voluntary conservation agreement, a VCA, with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. The VCA is in perpetuity on the land title, so it can never be developed and will remain as an environmental conservation of unique Australian bushland.

At the time, the VCA which Barbara and Ralph entered into was the first on the Central Coast and only the hundredth in New South Wales. The land upon which they placed the VCA is outstandingly beautiful Australian gully rainforest and open rainforest. They committed to regenerating the bushland and spent three years gradually eradicating lantana and other weed species. Now the land is so pristine it takes only one day per year to clear and maintain.

They are rightly very proud of what they have achieved and proud to have made a lasting contribution to the preservation of Australian bushland. Not only did they place their own land under a VCA they also worked with their neighbours and Wyong Shire Council to create a nature corridor along the ridge, which is maintained under its own conservation Landcare group. Through the restoration and conservation of the nature corridor there is preservation of flora and fauna.

Barbara and Ralph have welcomed many visitors over the years to their bushland. It has become an example of regeneration and preservation. TAFE groups from Sydney have taken day trips, WIRES has conducted training days and the community environmental networks land for wildlife groups have visited. At times, Barbara and Ralph have posted up to 70 people for the day.

When I visited Barbara and Ralph at Brushwood and took a walk through their magnificent preserved bushland I was impressed at their dedication and passion for seeing the land maintained for future generations. As they pointed out to me, so often we hear about what governments are doing in environmental regeneration and conservation, but private citizens like them deserve equal recognition. There are many people like Barbara and Ralph who are special landowners who voluntarily place a VCA on their land and are committed conservationists. They recognise that the land they hold is special and contains unique native vegetation and wildlife habitats that need to be preserved and protected from any threat of eradication or neglect. It is imperative that governments at all levels continue to support those who have land held under a VCA, to ensure that they can continue the work that they do voluntarily because of their love for our native bushland. I thank Barbara and Ralph Harris for taking me through Brushwood and sharing their passionate love for environmental conversation.