Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) | Hansard source

When considering the Ballarat electorate, you might think of the City of Ballarat itself, with its gold rush buildings, its gardens, our lakes, Sovereign Hill and many proud local manufacturers, like McCain, Mars and Haymes Paint, or our cafes and restaurants, which will soon be battling it out again for the annual Ballarat's Best Pie competition. But my electorate is also made up of many surrounding small villages with varied and distinct identities.

To the south of the city itself, around 270 people live in a beautiful town called Navigators. The community is nestled between two ancient volcanoes, Mount Buninyong and Mount Warrenheip. A year ago, the community officially opened their brand new hub, which the Albanese government was proud to support with $200,000, and it is now a very well-used community asset. It's home to a men's social group, as well as craft, history and table tennis groups, and it hosts local Pilates classes as well. Spread throughout the space are documents and photos celebrating the history of Navigators and its people. When I was there recently, I was treated to a beautiful morning tea spread and some great conversation. As one local said in their community, you can't just say hello over the back fence when your neighbours are scattered as far as they are in Navigators, so you find a place to come together and connect. The community has very much created that space, and it is absolutely thriving.

Eight kilometres away, to the west of Ballarat, is Cardigan Village. It's a little bigger than Navigators, with around 350 households, and I was there last week to celebrate beloved local postie Lyn McNight, who has been delivering the mail for 27 years. Lyn is known by all of the local residents and their children and also all of the local cats and dogs, who go out of their way to get a pat from Lyn when she's delivering. She's one of those people who makes people's days just a little bit better, with a smile and a kind word. In 2019, Lyn's contract was awarded to someone else, and the Cardigan Village community rallied until the decision was overturned by Australia Post. The community feel that she is simply quite irreplaceable.

In both of these proud little communities. Locals are committing to making the world around them a better place for them, their children and their grandchildren. It's all too easy, in the lives that we live, to get caught up in the negativity and abuse on social media. It's perpetuated by a minority of people, but they are very loud. It is incredibly refreshing, when we all go home to our communities and when I go home to mine, to be reminded that the vast majority of people are thoughtful and respectful. They are living their day-to-day lives with kindness and generosity. They're checking in on their neighbours, they're supporting each other and they're stepping up to make their communities better. I am very grateful to them for that.

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