Alison Penfold (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge and praise the incredible resilience shown by local netballers and players across all footy codes—rugby, league and soccer—over this wet winter. Floods and consistent rain have meant many of the fields and courts have been closed. This has been hard on everyone from juniors to seniors. I want to congratulate the Maitland Rugby Club, who won the club championships this year for the first time since 1999. The club achieved the minor premierships in the first, second and third XV, with the firsts taking out the minor premiership for the third year in a row. The women's first and fourth XV finished a close second. It was a huge achievement for the mighty club. The club's ground at Marcellin Park in Lorn stands proudly in the Lyne electorate, and I was pleased to watch a couple of great games there this season.

With cricket season soon upon us, I also want to congratulate the Northern Suburbs Cricket Club on their success in being chosen to host a four-day cricket carnival for the under-19 national female championships in December. The club plays at Lorn Park Oval, but, like many sporting facilities across the Lyne electorate, it needs investment. I thank the Maitland City Council for its funding of $200,000 towards the cost of screens, but more is needed to complete the job. I implore the Albanese government to put aside politics and reinvest in programs like the Building Better Regions Fund and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program so that community sporting facilities like Lorn Park can get on with the work they need to support their players and their communities.

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