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

It gives me great pleasure to rise this evening to speak about an important event that I attended in my electorate recently, the annual Far North Queensland Emergency Services Gala Charity Ball. This is the fourth year that they've run it. It was held this year on the Eastern Event Lawn, overlooking our magnificent Cairns Esplanade.

This year, the FNQ Emergency Services Association raised money for the Far North Queensland Youth Assistance Fund. I'm pleased to inform the House that a staggering $36,000 was raised on the night for this very worthy cause. The Youth Assistance Fund was established in 1972 to assist disadvantaged Far North Queensland children and youth in their education, sporting and cultural activities. The fund, since its inauguration, has assisted thousands of our local youth to achieve higher education, to represent their region and state in sport and to advance their cultural ambitions where their financial situation would not have allowed them to do so.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to extend very big congratulations, both to the Far North Queensland Emergency Services Gala Charity Ball Committee and to the Far North Queensland Youth Assistance Fund for the fantastic work that they are doing in the area, and to everybody who was involved in making the night such a massive success. Thank you.