Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take the opportunity today to highlight a number of wonderful community events in the Lindsay community. I am immensely proud to be a local member for such a wonderful, inclusive and diverse community. Firstly, the Australian Bhutanese Youth Festival held their third interstate soccer tournament in Penrith over four days commencing on 3 July. I was extremely proud to be asked to be patron of this wonderful event. The Association of Bhutanese in Australia works tirelessly to help new arrivals engage with the community, learn English and move towards full participation in the community and provide tolerance and inclusiveness. I commend the Australian Bhutanese community for this wonderful event. I would also like to thank Dr Om for making me so welcome and Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells for coming along and enjoying the festivities.

Long has the Nepean Valley been the nursery of junior rugby league stars. On Friday we saw at the St Marys Band Club the annual sports luncheon for Brothers, a key junior rugby league club in our community. Brothers have 45 teams, with some 700 young men playing junior rugby league. This club's major annual fundraiser I was extremely proud to be a part of. It was wonderful to see the Hon. Stuart Ayres, who is also the Minister for Sport and Recreation in the state government, Councillor Tricia Hitchens, Mark Geyer, Tim Gilbert and so many local sportspeople, local heroes, people of the Brothers community and just good all round Penrith people participating in this wonderful event.

Finally, I would also like to commend the work of Penrith City Council, the Local Area Command and my good friend the Mayor of Penrith, Ross Fowler, for their participation and celebrations for NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC Week is a time to recognise and reflect on the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the role they play in shaping our community and our identity. Over the course of NAIDOC Week, we also paused to reflect on their sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Aboriginal peoples, and honoured their priceless contribution to our nation. NAIDOC Week is a time to also think about what it has been with the Darug people in the Darug nation, which is where Lindsay resides.

It was wonderful to see so many local people and schools turn up to Jamison Park to participate in NAIDOC Week. I would like to commend Penrith Council, I would like to commend Brothers and I would like to thank the Bhutanese community for having such wonderful events over the last couple of weeks. Thank you.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.