Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 23 May Cairns Hockey Association celebrated the installation and opening of their new $400,000 artificial turf. The celebration included a march past by junior players and welcome to country ceremony. I officially cut the ribbon. The cutting of the ribbon involved my beautiful eight-year-old daughter, Mackenzie Lee Entsch, hitting an oversized hockey ball into the goal.

I am certainly proud to have had a long association with the Cairns Hockey Association as a patron of the RIHP North Queensland Rubies. In fact, my thanks go, in particular, to Cairns Hockey Association President Scott Brown, Cairns Hockey Association board member Karen Cockrem and RIHP Hockey program manager Julie McNeil. The Cairns Hockey Association does a fabulous job in bringing together locals, players, parents, supporters and spectators alike, and they have some great runs on the board.

Between 26 September and 11 October the club will host the Australian men's masters hockey championship. Close to 3,000 people—consisting of players, officials, medical and support crews, partners, friends, and families—will converge on Cairns for a state versus state competition to decide Australia's best. As a sporting city and leading tourism destination, Cairns offers competitors a perfect combination of natural beauty; first-class sporting infrastructure; and world-class accommodation, dining and professional support. To maximise this potential, the Cairns Hockey Association will build a $25 million stadium to host national and international events.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being two o'clock, the time for members' statements is concluded.