Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's my great pleasure to rise today to share some of the great success of the 2017 SES Orange and Purple Ball held last year in my electorate of Forde. The beneficiary of last year's ball was Alzheimer's Australia, which received a sizeable donation thanks to the generosity of our community and the inspiring humanitarian spirit of our SES volunteers. A large crowd attended the ball, which was held at the Logan West Community Centre. The attendees dazzled in stunning outfits of orange and purple, donning masks for the occasion and dancing the night away. I was astounded not only by the effort put in by so many people but also by their willingness to dig deep to help those in need. I'm sure that it is this willingness to give back which has inspired our event host, the Logan SES. I will just say in this chamber again what a pleasure it is to have people of such calibre in our community.

Last year I took the opportunity to speak in this chamber of the amazing efforts of our SES during the flood event caused by ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie in our region. I reflected then on how deserving these men and women are of our recognition and thanked them for going above and beyond the call of duty for others. Yet, with these fundraisers, they proved their altruism extends even further than that. They truly exist to help all people in our community, no matter what hardship they face.

Alzheimer's Australia is certainly a deserving beneficiary for the annual event. As the ball attendees heard on the night, there are more than 413,000 people living with dementia in Australia, with that number expected to rise to more than 536,000 by 2025. Current projections suggest that by 2025 more than 225,000 carers will be needed for sufferers across the nation, while the costs of dealing with the condition will increase to some $18.7 billion annually. Dementia is the single largest cause of disability in Australians aged 65 years and older and the third leading cause of our disability burden overall. One of the most pressing issues we face with this condition is to ensure that there is necessary support for people doing valuable work as students and early-career researchers in this space. It's pleasing to see how much our community is contributing to this vital work. It might be a small amount but it's the little bits that all add up, and I wish to commend the Logan SES.