House debates

Wednesday, 24 February 2016

Constituency Statements

Page Electorate: Woolgoolga Garden Club, Page Electorate: Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village

10:10 am

Photo of Kevin HoganKevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The Woolgoolga Garden Club is a strong community club with more than 100 members. Members range from 40 years of age to the oldest member, Jacki Ganderton, who turned 100 last week. Happy birthday, Jacki. This is a club that gives much back to the community. Recently it gave donations to six local schools: Corindi, Mullaway, Woolgoolga, Sandy Beach and St Xavier primary schools, as well as Woolgoolga High School. The money was to help each school beautify their school grounds. This is great community spirit. I would like to acknowledge the club's executive: president, Scott Rodham; secretary, Keryn Rodham; treasurer, Jill Smith; vice-president, Alice Lipman; vice-secretary, Margaret Franks; and vice-treasurer, Margaret Osborn; as well as the outing organiser, Rhonda Johnstone, who works tirelessly. They all work tirelessly to run a smooth ship. It is not just local schools that benefit from the garden club. They pledged money to the local Japanese garden and made a donation to the Woolgoolga community garden, and also gave a $1,000 donation to the Northern Beaches Multipurpose Centre.

I would also like to acknowledge today the Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village auxiliary. This dedicated team of volunteers wants to make life as best they can for other residents in their retirement village. They recently presented their retirement village with $10,000 to purchase new air conditioning for the dining room. In fact, since 1992, the auxiliary has fundraised more than $120,000 for the village, which is being used to purchase items such as beds, wheelchairs, lifters and physiotherapy equipment. I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Woolgoolga and District Retirement Village auxiliary committee, led by the president, Gail Towers, the secretary, Margaret Hodges and the treasurer, Betty White, along with 17 members who work tirelessly to raise funds to ensure a better life for the residents of the village. Those members are Steve Towers, Pat Hodges, Val Penfold, Laurel Vardy, Shona Ward, Beth Hamilton, Barbara Mortimer, Barbara Stucking, Hazel Billingsley, Muriel Cresswell, Dawn Hawkey, Mary Johnston, Lyn Shakespeare, Carol Thompson and Margaret McDougall. Thanks for the work that you do.