John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In June of this year I spoke in the chamber about Ben Phillips and the Tigers' successful completion of the 100km Melbourne Oxfam trail walk for this year. I am pleased to inform the Senate this evening that the Tigers team successfully completed the Sydney trail walk over the last weekend in August in a solid 31 hours and 46 minutes. I also thought I would touch this evening on the important work of Oxfam in helping some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people and encourage others to support Oxfam and possibly even give the Oxfam Trailwalker a go themselves.

The 100-kilometre Sydney trail walk is a challenging event. This year's Tigers team was made up of yours truly, on my ninth walk, John Paul Grima, on his second walk, and debutant walkers Greg Bell and Josh Genner. We faced some considerable challenges before we even set foot on the track. Two of our team's most experienced walkers were forced to withdraw due to unavoidable circumstances just days before the start. For the first time, our team called on two reserve walkers to fill the breach. Neither John Paul nor Josh had the chance to prepare for the event, and in the circumstances their efforts were magnificent. I would particularly like to acknowledge the effort of John Paul Grima, who received the call-up, and travelled from Melbourne to compete, just two days before the start of the walk.

Before the start of the event, at Brooklyn, the presentation of the Melbourne Oxfam Overcoming the Odds award was made to totally blind Tigers trail walker Ben Phillips. Senators might recall that I spoke about Ben after he conquered the 100-kilometre Melbourne trail walk earlier this year. Ben is totally blind. He works as a child carer, studies child care at university and plays blind cricket for Burwood, New South Wales and Australia. He is a real achiever and was very deserving of the Overcoming the Odds award. He also recently won the Pride of Australia Medal for courage, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate him for that.

Inspired by Benny's spirited award acceptance speech, the Tigers set off on the Sydney trail walk. The 100-kilometre track starts on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in Parsley Bay, winds its way through the very rugged but picturesque terrain of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, then goes through the suburban streets of St Ives and down what could only be described as goat tracks in the Garigal National Park and finally crosses the Spit Bridge and passes Balmoral Beach before walkers climb to the finish line at Georges Heights Oval in Mosman. The walk was tough. There were slips, strains, blisters, twists, whinges and tantrums, but the Tigers dug deep and finished the event in a very commendable 31 hours and 46 minutes. So far, our team has raised $16,560 for this event, we hope with more still to come.

Two thousand two hundred trail walkers, assisted by 750 Oxfam volunteers and hundreds more support crew, participated in this year's Sydney trail walk. The event has so far raised over $3 million for Oxfam. Financial support goes to Oxfam Australia's projects around the world, such as helping orphans in South Africa, tackling development issues in the Mekong Delta and improving living conditions in Indigenous communities here in Australia. Oxfam provides direct assistance to families and communities, equipping them with the basic tools to achieve positive change in their lives. Oxfam's projects aim to provide communities with clean water and basic levels of sanitation, education and health. Oxfam responds to emergencies by providing life-saving aid, support and protection, often in war zones and in the aftermath of devastating national natural disasters.

Oxfam is currently on the ground in Sindh province, Pakistan, which has once again been devastated by floods. Many parts of Sindh province were still recovering from last year's floods when they were inundated again. Oxfam estimates that 5.3 million people are currently affected by flooding in Pakistan, 4.2 million hectares of land are under water and 1.59 million hectares of standing crops have been destroyed. Oxfam's immediate response has been to provide fresh drinking water and hygiene kits and to assist with search and rescue operations. This work is vital and it is strongly supported by funds raised through events like the Oxfam Trailwalker.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who made this year's Sydney trail walk possible for the Tigers team. Many thanks go again to Maxie, who provided a great deal of the support and organisation for us. Sincere thanks go also to our tireless support crew—Liz, Kim, Clare, Louise, Bonnie and Kathryn. Special thanks, as always, go to the Balmain Tigers rugby league football club, which so generously supports our team every year, albeit with the disappointing result in the recent semifinal. It was most undeserved. It is always important to acknowledge when football clubs do good things in the community. From time to time football clubs and football players are criticised, but tonight I want to properly acknowledge, as I have on so many occasions, the support that the Balmain Tigers club have given our team and Oxfam. It is a credit to them and to all involved with them.

Finally, I must thank all our supporters and donors, some of whom are present in the chamber tonight. They have, as you know, Madam Acting Deputy President, generously supported the Tigers year in and year out. They do so much to support the important work of Oxfam and, on behalf of the Tigers, I would just like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them all.