Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I also want to add some very brief remarks to the work of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories in the report of the inquiry into local governance on Norfolk Island. Equally, I wanted to thank all of those who gave evidence to the inquiry for doing so. I really wanted to encourage local people on Norfolk Island to make sure that they have their say in the governing body that is to come. I want to encourage all members to do so, including those who, for various reasons, did not give evidence at the hearings themselves.

I well understand some of the challenges of living and working in small communities, and dealing with people who have very strong opinions and influence in communities. But I want to encourage every individual on Norfolk Island to make sure they have their say so that the bespoke model that is developed reflects all the community's views and aspirations, particularly some of the younger members of the community and those who seek to make Norfolk Island their home. I want to make sure that the same people, as well, put their hands up for the governance opportunities that will come, ongoing, on Norfolk Island, and make sure they represent their community in the way that most represents the views of the people on Norfolk Island. Equally, on the focus through the report and for those on Norfolk Island on current and alternative revenue opportunities and options: in the longer-term, these are particularly important to the generations to come.

I thank the chair for her work with this committee and the way she's engaged with all of us as members of the committee. I thank her very sincerely for her efforts. As she has said, it has been a challenging report to do. I equally want to thank the secretariat, who have put an extraordinary amount of work into preparing this report and have done what I think is a very sound job in the preparation and presentation of the report to the parliament. And I thank you, Deputy Speaker Claydon, for this opportunity.

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