Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Sunday is Clean Up Australia Day and I will be doing my bit to collect and remove rubbish from my local community. This year I will be focusing my efforts on cleaning up the beautiful Darwin esplanade. I will have a team of volunteers with me who, like me and my coalition colleagues, care about the environment. We will do everything practical to ensure that we protect our environment and to ensure its ongoing sustainability. Plastic bottles, cane toads and a street sign were just some of the items I found while cleaning up last year. I am really encouraged by the number of people who want to get involved again this year. It is great to see so many people wanting to make a difference in their local environment.

This year, it is anticipated that clean-up activities around the world will involve around 35 million people from around 120 countries. This is proof that the initiative started in Australia in 1989 by Ian Kiernan now has universal appeal. The health of our environment is important to us all.

I would also like to mention another worthwhile cause that I am supporting: the Shave for a Cure. I am participating again in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave, helping the fabulous Shelley Ryan from the Leukaemia Foundation in the Northern Territory to encourage Territorians to get involved. From 15 March to 17 March hundreds of Territorians will get sponsorship to wax, colour and shave their hair to help locals with blood cancer. Once again, my team, Wiggsy Griggsy, will be fundraising and raising vital awareness of the important work that the Leukaemia Foundation does.

On Friday 16 March, local small business operator Jason Hanna, owner of the Deck Bar, will throw open the doors of his iconic business to support this worthwhile cause. My team, Wiggsy Griggsy, will be on standby at the Deck Bar to colour, shave, wax and clip all types of hair in the name of charity. It is amazing how daring and generous people are when they know that the money is going to a good cause. Last year I gave some pretty groovy hairstyles and colours to willing participants, who did not seem to mind that I did not have any hairdressing experience at all. That is what is so good about this initiative: people are willing to forgo about their own appearance in order to help others.

Finally, today is Teal Ribbon Day. I am wearing this ribbon in support of Ovarian Cancer Australia. Each February, Ovarian Cancer Australia run a national awareness campaign to highlight the symptoms of ovarian cancer and to raise much-needed funds for its support programs. Teal is the international colour for ovarian cancer. I am encouraging everyone to purchase and wear one of these ribbons to show your support and to raise awareness of this disease, which kills one woman every 11 hours. Last week, the Territory ovarian cancer ambassador, Alice Burton, held a very successful 'cockteal' party at il Lido. They are another fabulous Territory business that generously supports the local community. These teal ribbons are available in my Darwin electorate office. (Time expired)