Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to commend a number of local groups from my electorate on their hard work in making the Sunshine Coast community an even better place in which to live. I am sure the region I represent—characterised by magnificent beaches, lovely weather and warm, friendly people—is the envy of many other honourable members of this House. While many here come to the Sunshine Coast for holidays and to get away from the rat-race, I am proud to say that this holiday destination is my home every day of the year. It is the volunteer organisations that help to make the place that much more special.

I was recently proud to announce that 14 Sunshine Coast volunteer groups will share in almost $29,000 in Australian government funds to help them buy much-needed equipment. These funds come to them through the Volunteer Small Equipment Grants Program, which assists not-for-profit groups with grants of up to $3,000 to purchase small equipment needed for their ongoing service to the community. These grants help to meet the equipment needs of organisations that otherwise may ordinarily struggle to afford the equipment. This equipment helps to make the work of the volunteers easier, safer and more enjoyable. This is one of the funding programs that I particularly enjoy in that it meets the very practical needs of important, hardworking groups.

While the Volunteer Small Equipment Grants Program attracts relatively little media interest because the amounts of money are relatively small, it is a wonderful program that assists a wide range of groups in a very targeted way. For example, the Kawana Tennis Club will receive $1,800 under this latest funding round. The money will go towards paying for a portable PA system, a practical allocation of funds that will help this club function at an improved level. This club holds various mid-level tournaments, and the PA system will greatly assist.

Other organisations to share in funds totalling $28,825 are: the Ananda Marga River School P&F Association, Maleny, with $2,008 for a trailer, knife set, tools and wheelbarrows; the Caloundra SES Group, with $2,726 for an electronic white board; Glenview State School P&C, with $1,776 for a first-aid kit, fridge, outdoor table and benches, stereo/CD player and urn; Guides Queensland in Kawana, with $2,504 for a stereo/CD player, television/monitor and video/DVD player; Little Mountain Quilters, Little Mountain, with $2,700 for a quilting frame and a sewing machine; Mooloolah Public Hall Association, Mooloolah, with $1,340 for a ladder, a table and a vacuum cleaner; Maleny RSL subbranch, with $2,352 for a blower cleaner, a chainsaw, a high-pressure cleaner, a table and a whipper snipper; Kawana State Emergency Service, with $2,300; Sunshine Coast Jazz Club, with $2,279; the Scout Association at Buderim, with $623; and the Vietnam Veterans’ Association Sunshine Coast Branch, Cotton Tree, with $2,600 for a brush-cutter, gardening tools, a mower, power tools and trailers.

Volunteers carry out a very important role in our society. I commend these organisations for their good work and I welcome the Australian government’s support for these volunteer organisations. (Time expired)