Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since that infamous day of 12 October 2002, when 88 Australians lost their lives. The Bali bombing was a reprehensible and treacherous act against innocent lives. It was murder, pure and simple. Calling it an act of terrorism in some way diminishes the savagery. Overall, 202 people died that day and another 240 were grievously injured.

Among those killed were two young mates from Ulladulla, in my electorate of Gilmore, Craig Dunn and Danny Lewis. Ulladulla is a small town and the loss of the two boys hit hard. Even those that did not know them personally had a degree of affinity with them, even just through living in the same town. Most of their peers attended the same high school. They shared similar interests and did a lot of things together. Going to Bali was an aspiration many young teens from Ulladulla would have entertained at some point. Craig and Danny went from Ulladulla to Bali but they did not come back.

It is bad enough when one of our soldiers is lost fighting this tyranny but quite another thing when it is a noncombatant having a holiday. It was said at the time, and I do not disbelieve it for a moment, that 10 years ago we lost our innocence. We realised we were not immune to the things that, up until then, we had only heard about or saw on television. You can only imagine what was in the minds of those young people, those teens from Ulladulla, who saw two of their own snatched away from them in such horrific and brutal fashion.

But, like the phoenix rising from the ashes, some good emerged from the bad. Gayle Dunn is the mother of Craig. I will not talk about what she went through, but I applaud her on redirecting her grief, as immense as it was, into something that benefited humankind. It was almost an emphatic rebuttal to the savagery that robbed her of her son. Gayle, like any other parent, wanted to honour the memory of her son and his mate. But, rather than a small headstone or plaque, Gayle took a different tack. She wanted her memorial to Craig and Danny to be more than symbolic or tokenistic. She wanted the memorial to help others, to ease pain and to make the world a brighter place. This was the vision that was the beginning of the Dunn and Lewis Memorial Centre in Ulladulla. Gayle was the driving force behind the establishment of the Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation, established to raise funds to build her dream.

The first stage of the centre is now completed. It includes a 12-lane bowling alley, an air-conditioned lounge area, a food kiosk and a conference room, and it employs over 25 young people. As soon as financially possible, the second stage will commence: building an auditorium and gymnasium and commencing a wide variety of sports and health programs. The aim is to complete the commercial kitchen and function rooms to establish additional income streams in this stage. It remains a work in progress.

It is appropriate to repeat the stated intent of the foundation:

The Intent of t he Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation Ltd:

Providing a memorial for Craig Dunn and Danny Lewis to remember the boys forever who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Bali on October 12th 2002.

An attraction for all youth to meet their ever changing needs where they are safe and comfortable.

Opportunities for the youth to enhance their personal, social and vocational skills.

Financial assistance for the youth of Ulladulla.

Offer recreational activities and entertainment for the wider community.

Foster a sense of community spirit.

What a noble and generous sentiment. I commend all who contributed to the creation of this community asset and who continue to give. It is the dream of all of us who live in Gilmore in the Ulladulla area to see the project realise its final stage. Both Gayle and I ask this government to consider stage 2 funding through the RDA Fund. Applications have been called for for this round, and I know that Gayle Dunn had discussions with the Prime Minister in Bali on the 10th anniversary. I invite the Prime Minister to come and visit the Dunn and Lewis Memorial Centre. I know that she too would be very proud of what has been achieved through funds from both sides of politics.

The young people of Ulladulla designed the building, help run it and use it to educate those who are doing it tough. The centre also has an outreach of headspace. So, as you can see, it is certainly aimed at our youth of Ulladulla and the Gilmore electorate. It is something all of us in Gilmore are proud of, yet we never forget why it was built.