Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, more than 3,500 people converged on Newcastle for the 2014 Navy Australian Surf Rowers Open. It was a pleasure to welcome all of the competitors to Newcastle as well as the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of local organisations and individuals who helped successfully organise the event.

Rhonda Scruton, CEO of the Hunter Surf Life Saving, and Callan Nickerson, President of the Stockton Surf Life Saving Club deserve particular praise. I would also like to recognise the work of those behind the scenes, in particular the staff of the Newcastle City Council who looked after a lot of things that often go unnoticed in major events such as this. Whether it is emptying bins, allocating parking areas or, importantly, preparing and maintaining the beach for competition, the council staff have been key contributors to the success of this event for the last three years. I would like to congratulate the various winners of the event and look forward to welcoming all parties back to Newcastle when the event returns.

Beyond events such as this, Surf Life Saving Clubs, with more than 150,000 members up and down the coast of Australia, play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. This week also sees some of the world's best surfers converge on Newcastle for the annual Surfest event, a fantastic event that Newcastle is very proud to host. I wish the competitors every success and look forward to a fortnight of events.