Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

It is volunteers that hold our community together. Last week, I was delighted to host the 2026 Fairfax Volunteer Awards ceremony. I want to congratulate Sylvia Whiting, Myshell Hyde, Birte Spencer, Janine Smith, Tony Brown, Debbie Day, Karen Martin, Mitchell Lenord, Carolyn Neville, Leonie Wilcox, Saxon Cracknell, Peter Cooper, Kimberley Teillet-Meunier, Jenny McKay, Craig McMillan, Peter Lloyd, Nita Claire Lester, Graeme White, Diana Fuller, Ian McGrath, Val Morey, Graham Tamblyn, Jeremy Foster, Katija Wilkinson, Rob Sims, Amanda O'Donnell, Tony Northey, Chloe Lynn Rounds, Tania Stevenson and Anthony Waring. I also congratulate the Community Group Achievement Award winners: the Coolum Beach Meals on Wheels and Coastal Caring Clowns. Volunteers, I believe, are the happiest and most fulfilled people on the planet, and that's because they give of themselves to others. To all volunteers on the Sunshine Coast, to all volunteers in the seat of Fairfax, can I say thank you. Thank you for your generosity and for your service.

I also want to today say a very big thank you to the people of Nambour and the people of the Sunshine Coast because we now have enough money to keep the Sunny Coast Sleeper operating in the town of Nambour for at least another 18 months, through until the end of 2027. The sleeper bus, of course, is a bus with nine sleeping pods for those who would otherwise be homeless. How have we been able to make this happen? Well, the community came together. This has been a complete community effort. When I started a fundraising campaign only three months ago, I had no idea that we would have already raised nearly $27,000 today, enough to keep this bus operating. I want to say a very big thank you to the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, whose asset it is. I want to say thank you to the volunteers, ably led by Leonie, and also in particular to the Harry Cohney Charitable Foundation for their enormous contribution of $15,000. Let's keep working together, Nambour.

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