Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to celebrate a remarkable young Novocastrian who is taking our city to the world stage. Nicholas Ridgeway, a talented 17-year-old dancer from Newcastle, has earned the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Dance Movement in Italy. This is an extraordinary achievement from a young person pursuing their passion. Nicholas's journey is one of dedication, discipline and courage. Like so many young people in our community, he has spent countless hours training, refining his craft and striving to be the very best he can be. And now that hard work has paid off—not just with personal success but with the chance to showcase Newcastle's creative talent on the international stage.

What stands out about Nicholas's story is not just the achievement itself but what it represents. It represents the strength of arts education in our public schools. And I want to give his school a big shout-out. The Hunter School of the Performing Arts, in Broadmeadow, is nurturing lots of new, emerging young talent in our region. It also represents the support of families, teachers and mentors who are involved in nurturing those young people and their talents going forward. And it represents a community that believes in backing young people to dream big. Nicholas is not just representing himself; he's representing Newcastle, and we are incredibly proud of him.

I want to recognise the storytellers in our community: those who capture the experiences, emotions and perspectives that make Newcastle unique. The recent announcement of winners of the 2026 Newcastle Herald short story competition highlights the depth of creative talent in our region, and I would particularly like to congratulate this year's winner, Karen Whitelaw.

Through her writing, Karen has demonstrated the power of storytelling to connect us, to reflect our shared experiences and to shine a light on the moments that define who we are. The competition invites local writers to transform everyday life into something meaningful and memorable: stories that reflect our community, our resilience and our creativity. Competitions like this are so important because they create space for voices to be heard, they encourage people to tell their stories, they build confidence in emerging writers and they remind us of the power of words to bring people together. Congratulations, again, to Karen Whitelaw on receipt of this highly regarded award.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional service of two young Novocastrians, Edith McNamara and Hamish Lawrence, who were recently recognised as the region's Junior Life Savers of the Year. While many teenagers are out enjoying their weekends, Edith and Hamish are out patrolling our beaches to prevent drownings and injuries. They're conducting rescues. They're providing first aid. They're setting up safe swimming zones between the red and yellow flags and educating the public on beach safety. They are making a profound contribution to the community, and they're part of a very long and proud tradition of surf lifesaving in Newcastle, a tradition that's built on volunteerism, responsibility and care for others.

I'm a very fortunate member of this parliament. I have six surf lifesaving clubs to represent, stretching from Stockton, Nobbys, Newcastle, Cooks Hill, Merewether to Dixon Park. They are all important contributors to our community, but Edith and Hamish are really exceptional examples of young people doing remarkable work. I note that Edith has already helped rescue a struggling swimmer during patrol and Hamish is continuing to dedicate himself to developing and building on his training and skills in protecting beachgoers. As I mentioned, these are not small contributions; these are real acts of service. They make a positive difference.

What is so powerful about their stories is that they remind us that leadership doesn't have to wait till adulthood. It's happening right now. It's happening on our beaches, in our surf clubs, in our communities and in our sporting organisations. These are young lifesavers who are representing the very best of us, and they give me and, I know, all Novocastrians great confidence that our future is in very good hands.

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