Volunteers—where would we be without them? Our nation relies so much on our volunteers, so much on these people who willingly give up their time and their valuable money and everything else to be there when the community needs them most. On the weekend before last, it was absolutely fantastic to attend the 48th Murrumbateman Field Days. Splendid spring weather greeted a huge crowd, there's lots to see and do, and it proved a great family event. More than 300 volunteers from 27 local community organisations help put on the two days, including—wait for this!—11 brigades from the local rural fire service. What an amazing achievement. Since 2010, Murrumbateman Community Association has pumped more than $1.7 million back into these volunteer groups. Each year, the field days generate as much as $8 million of local economic activity.

When I talk about the RFS—of course, it's CFA in Victoria and has different variations of names throughout the states—many of those men and women have been serving for decades and decades. I recently attended the funeral of Jim Simpson, who had been a rural fire brigade person since he was eight years old. He was in his 80s when he passed away. These people do a remarkable job, and I do fear for them as we enter what potentially is going to be a very hazardous and destructive fire season. They'll be there in their bright-coloured uniforms, they'll be there in their trucks, they'll be there whether they've got soot all over their face from a hard day's firefighting or they'll be there making the sandwiches for other firefighters who are coming back. Their families do an amazing job in that regard too.

They'll be there, and that's the point. In country areas, we rely on our volunteers perhaps even more so than our city friends. I have to say, when it comes to the RFS and it comes to the State Emergency Service personnel, they don't just attend the usual fires and the like. There's the road trauma that they turn up to, and, on country roads, the road trauma is often far more disastrous than it is in metropolitan areas because of the speed involved in these crashes.

Then you've also got the volunteers who willingly help out at the agricultural shows. I know the Harden show is coming up on 14 November. I'm looking forward to that. Robert Hamilton, at Wagga Wagga—my home town—is a generational family member and show society president. It's not just Wagga Wagga Show or the Harden show. All the little towns have all got their own shows. Ganmain is one of the greatest shows in my Riverina electorate. They're all run by volunteers. Then you've got the football clubs, netball clubs, league tag clubs, hockey clubs—you name it—the sport is run by volunteers. They get involved, and sometimes they get involved because of their children, but, sometimes, when their children have long since moved away from the area or hung up the hockey stick, netball or football and put it away in the cupboard, their parents are still involved. They're still turning up, they're still on the sausage sizzle, they're still on the committees, and they're still doing the hard yards. We thank them.

Our Rotary and Lions clubs at that level apex have found it difficult in recent years to attract members. As I attend many of the changeover dinners and many of the Rotary functions in particular, I do note the age of the members and the dwindling number of members. I think it's probably pertinent. I had an idea, once, that we should make the funds tax deductible. I have not shied away from that. I think we need to do more to encourage people with the right intent, financially, to help support those Rotary clubs, which do such an amazing job right throughout our country, city or regional. We should very much look at what we can do to support membership because they also play a great role, whether it's on the gates, marshalling people, parking or helping out at various community events, fetes, fairs and the like. Thank you to our volunteers, you keep this nation running. (Time expired)