Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to inform the House that, on 1 August this year, the third annual Fadden Seniors Expo and Forum will be taking place at the Jupiter's Pavilion near Parklands Showground on the corner of Smith Street and Parklands Drive, Parklands. For those who remember the Fadden seniors forum last year, about 1,000 people were in attendance with almost 100 service providers and stands. All of it was free to provide services and information to senior Australians.

This year the legendary Normie Rowe AM, one of Australia's great performers, will MC the entire day. We are very lucky to have my good friend and colleague the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop MP, the shadow minister for seniors, there to speak about the issues confronting seniors and to answer a range of questions. I am very proud to announce that this year's Fadden Seniors Expo and Forum's major sponsor is INOX Supreme Lubricants. INOX is an outstanding company that produces some of the world's finest lubricants and probably the only lubricants that are not petroleum based. Our silver sponsors are Snore Australia, Vision Centre Gold Coast, New Haven Funerals and Bendigo Bank. We will have over $2,000 in lucky door prizes, all donated for the community by great organisations that include Eye Cue Security, the Islander Resort Hotel, our great friends Telstra, the wonderful people of Zarraffa's Coffee—thank you to Kenton and Rachael—and Goldstein's Bakery and Pie Shop. Water will be donated by Wet Fix.

The beauty of putting on massive events like this that are completely and utterly free for the community is that they are sponsored by so many of our partners within the community and that sponsorship allows these events to be free. We will be sending out over 15,000 invitations to the third annual Fadden Seniors Expo and Forum and we expect over 1,500 people to attend. The range of exhibitors providing free information services and stands will include Veterans' Affairs, BreastScreen Queensland, National Seniors Australia, Gold Coast Stroke Support, Citizens Advice Bureau and Gold Coast Legal Service, TransLink, the Lions Club of Helensvale, Men's Sheds, Labrador Carers Queensland, Volunteering Gold Coast, Queensland Aged and Disability Advocacy Incorporated, Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast, COTA, Blue Care community services, Amputee Advisory Association Inc., Red Cross Nerang, Soroptimist International of Queensland Gold Coast Inc., Probus Club of Hollywell, Alzheimer's Australia, Gold Coast North Prostate Cancer Support, the Animal Welfare League, St Vincent de Paul, North Gold Coast RSL Sub-branch, community gardens of Coomabah, the Scrapbooking Group, Men's Health Peer Education Moncrieff, U3A, St John's Ambulance, KinCare, Grandparents Raising Grandkids, VIP Transport Able Australia, (Vision in Paradise), Australian Air League, Home Assist Secure, OzCare, Ashmore Day Respite Centre, Cancer Council of Queensland, Relationships Australia, the Lioness Club of Southport, the Rotary Club of Coomera River Midday Ashmore, Anglicare (Spiritus), Independent Retirees, View Club of Runaway Bay, Garden Tools for People with Disabilities, Guide Dogs Queensland, the Coomera CWA, Gold Coast City Council-Active and Healthy Gold Coast, Elan Medical Supplies, Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre, VIP District Crime Prevention from the police station, Home and Community Care HACC Program and, of course, Centrelink.

This is an enormous number of services all under one roof on one day, completely and utterly free for the entire northern Gold Coast to come along to. The parking there is simple and it is free; it is at the Gold Coast Parklands. There is enough parking for everyone to attend. There will be morning tea and lunch, again, provided to the community free of charge as a community event to inform, to provide services and to send the message that we care about our seniors and that it is important to get information to them. This is an opportunity in a one-stop shop to come along and see, hear, learn, listen, engage and enjoy. I welcome all senior Australians in the northern Gold Coast community to come along on 1 August 2012 from 9 am to 2.30 pm to the Jupiter's Pavilion, Parkland Showground, on the corner of Smith Street and Parklands Drive, Parklands. At the very least, can I say that it is an amazing treat spending a day with the legendary Normie Rowe, having him sing the national anthem, MC the day and having him available to chat with. It is a real treat and experience. I look forward to welcoming all Gold Coasters there.