Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

():  Recently I met three locals who've had enough of watching our coastline waste away. Paul, Ben and Freddie call themselves C Care. They're not lobbyists. They're not activists for hire. They're not political. They're just three community members who've lived and worked by and surfed in Bate Bay for decades. They've seen the sand stripped away from Cronulla Beach and the rest of Bate Bay and dumped into the Port Hacking estuary, where channels are choking, the Deeban Spit is swelling and the once tidal waterways are now almost sealed shut. Paul's been surfing there for nearly 50 years, and now he says that most days he can't surf.

But this isn't just about catching a wave; it's about protecting the Bate Bay, safeguarding our foreshore, preserving a way of life for the next generation, and keeping alive that strip of sand that brings money to our local economy. Freddie spoke about wanting his grandchildren to enjoy the beach he knew, and that's a sentiment every parent and grandparent in this community should understand.

C Care isn't asking for lip service. What they want is science-backed solutions that sustainably bring back sand to the Bate Bay and Cronulla beach and keep it that way. They want all stakeholders—local, state and federal—to work together and to act. Their call is simple. Support their cause. Let's stop chasing bandaid solutions where we move sand from one end of the beach to the other, and let's make Bate Bay and Cronulla beach healthy for good. I stand with them. Our coastline is a central part of our area. It's a central part of the culture and our way of life. It's a central part of our economy. So we need to act now, before our coastline disappears. This is the heritage we owe to our future generations. On behalf of my community I urge parliament to get behind this initiative, C Care.

I also want to pay tribute to those who attended and took part in the Vietnam Veterans' service day hosted at the Cronulla RSL Sub-Branch on 18 August. Marking this remarkable milestone, it was also the 100th anniversary of the Cronulla RSL. Vietnam Veterans' Day recognises the service and sacrifice of nearly 60,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War. More than 3,000 were wounded, and 523 never returned home. At the Cronulla RSL we gathered not only to honour those men and women but also to reflect on the unique role that Cronulla RSL has played in supporting our diggers for more than a century.

Established in 1925, Cronulla RSL has stood for 100 years as a place of remembrance, service and community. It has been a place where veterans and their families have found support, found community and found where their service is celebrated and recognised. On behalf of this parliament I thank Cronulla RSL for 100 years of dedication, and I thank every Vietnam vet for their service.

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