Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday, 24 February I had the pleasure of attending the Warburton Up and Running Fun Run to present prizes to the winners and placegetters in a series of fun runs. This was the 10th annual run and it saw a record number of entrants, 525 in all. The run is organised by a dedicated committee comprising Lesley Grimes, David and Sue Hoffman, Michael Alter, Kaye Laity and the irrepressible Chris Thomas, who was the MC for the day. The purpose of the run is to put Warburton and surrounding towns on the map and in everyone's consciousness and to draw people to what is a very beautiful part of the Yarra Valley. The committee run the event as a not-for-profit. They cover the costs and then donate profits to the local CFA and SES. It was wonderful event. I thank the organising committee. I also thank the more than 50 volunteers—partners, spouses, friends and relatives of the organising committee—who made the event such a great success, as well as the generous sponsors who gave so much of their time, resources and finances to make the day the success that it was. I should also make mention of Lavinia Petrie, who also helped present the prizes. She is a 69-year-old running legend who still holds many records.

Last Thursday, 7 March, together with the member for Wentworth, the shadow minister for communications, I also had the pleasure of visiting the Steels Creek Tennis Club. The Steels Creek Tennis Club was badly affected, as was the Steels Creek community, by the Black Saturday bushfires a little over four years ago. At the time, the member for Wentworth visited the tennis club a week after those fires to view firsthand the devastation that had occurred to the community. He visited on a day where, despite the devastation, the club was still playing tennis. It was great for the club to welcome him back. It was also great to then take him to the Steels Creek Community Centre, where Eva Matthews, the Secretary of the Steels Creek Association, discussed a range of initiatives that the community is looking at as it rebuilds, and to discuss in particular the need for better mobile telecommunications in that fire affected area. It was great to take the shadow minister there and for him to hear firsthand the needs and concerns of that community, which was so badly affected by the Black Saturday fires.