Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I recently had the pleasure of being part of a special book launch at the Bendigo Library. Imagine a Place, a story about going to playgroup, was launched at the Bendigo Library during a very special rhyme time. Imagine a Place tells a story about the kinds of things children, their parents and carers enjoy about going to playgroup. This book was created out of a partnership between Communities for Children and Kids' Own Publishing. Communities for Children is based at Anglicare Victoria and is funded through the federal Department of Social Services. Communities for Children commissioned artists from Kids' Own Publishing to partner with three local organisations and playgroups, including the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 10:29 to 10:37

Before the suspension, I was speaking about a project that was commissioned by artists from Kids' Own Publishing, who partnered with three local playgroups, including BDAC, to convey the positive impact that playgroups have for children and their grown-ups. Congratulations to all involved. It is a beautiful book, and I'd like to thank the families for their generosity in sharing their experience of being involved in such a positive project.

I'd also like to give a shout-out and congratulations to the Long Gully Community Garden, which was commissioned by the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre. The group recently benefited from a grant from round 9 of the Stronger Communities Program. The grant of $17,500 went towards electrifying various aspects of the garden to help improve energy to the site and move away from their dependency on fossil fuels. The Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre has installed solar panels on the roof and a storage battery, which will enable the kitchen to run and provide power to the site for their sheds and pumps. Garden facilitator Jonathan Ridnell said, 'We now have a solar system which is pretty much a power station to the site.' They are pumping water to the garden, which enables them to grow the produce, which is then part of the pantry that the neighbourhood centre has. The garden is incredibly important to the community, as what is produced is then picked and bottled and goes to the neighbourhood centre to boost supplies at their pantry. Funding also went towards upgrading garden tools to lighter and more user-friendly electric garden tools.

All of the projects that were funded in the recent round of Stronger Communities Program are being delivered, and I want to congratulate communities like the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre for what they've achieved with the funding that they've received from us through the Stronger Communities Program.

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