Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, as you well know, successful communities are those that regularly come together. We all live busy, often isolated, lives, so it is important that we have opportunities to meet our neighbours and those in surrounding streets. Community events are a tried and true way to bring people together and build community spirit. They are great fun in the good times and a bulwark against the bad times. They bring schools, sports clubs, churches, community and social groups, businesses and individuals together and provide an opportunity for people to meet, build friendships and create a greater sense of belonging.

Last Friday night I was thrilled to attend such an event in my electorate, the Sherwood Community Street Festival. The festival is held every year in November in the Sherwood shopping precinct on Sherwood Road, where they block off the street and pedestrians take over the area. Sherwood is a beautiful, leafy part of Brisbane, nestled between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek Common. Over the last 13 years this festival has become a community institution. It is a great way to build social capital, foster community spirit, showcase local talent and culture and, more importantly, to give our younger kids an early taste of Santa Claus.

It has everything you would expect of a great festival: entertainment, food, music, stage acts, community arts, street acts, crafts, gifts, government stalls and—my son Stan’s favourite—a jumping castle. It was very hard to get him off! All of the stalls express the diverse and friendly nature of my local community of Sherwood.

The event receives some funding from the Brisbane City Council—and I thank them for this great use of ratepayer dollars—but it is coordinated by local volunteers doing their bit for the local community. I would like to make special mention of the organising committee which gives so much of their own time, energy and skills, with many challenges, for their community: the committee president, Vivian Rodgers; the vice-president and stall convenor, Jan Oliver; the secretary, Carmel Cole, who deserves special mention; the technical coordinator, Frank Thomson; and entertainment convenor, Kelly Smith. I am sure there are many other people who also did extra work. But I cannot go through all of the names; it would take too long. I thank all of you for your great work on behalf of the wider community. Thanks also to the many local businesses that sponsor the event. Many do so anonymously year after year. However, I would particularly like to thank my friend Cameron Miller and his company for their very significant contribution.

The Sherwood Community Street Festival started back in 1995 when the local veterinarian at the time, Dr Malcolm Mackenzie, suggested the idea at a local traders dinner. Dr Mackenzie invited local business and community leaders to be involved, formed a committee and it quickly grew to become a thriving community festival, attracting thousands of people from all over Brisbane every year. So a particular thank you to Dr Malcolm Mackenzie.

The event received the lord mayor’s 2008 Australia Day Community Event of the Year Award. I am the first to acknowledge that on occasion our Liberal lord mayor really gets it right. Congratulations to the Sherwood community and the organising committee for the fine work that they did in ensuring that all of the people in the Sherwood community got to experience Christmas early. I was particularly impressed by the nativity scene where they had real camels, real animals parading through the street. It was a real treat for the younger kids. Also, the singers were fantastic.