House debates

Monday, 17 September 2018

Statements by Members

Hinkler Electorate: Primary Schools Cup, Bruce Highway: Fatal Crash

4:26 pm

Photo of Keith PittKeith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate all of those competitors in the Primary Schools Cup for netball held in Bundaberg over the weekend. There were 800-plus competitors in Bundaberg—with their support teams and families in tow—and I'm told it was a great event, incredibly successful. There were cars everywhere! It filled not only the car park but also all the available space around the field as well.

The event was made possible because of a $500,000 grant from the federal government in 2016 for the extension to the courts, which created the capacity to deliver these types of carnivals locally, along with a $17,600 grant to the Bundaberg Regional Council, through the Building Better Regions Fund, a community investments stream, which has supported them to deliver such a large carnival. I'm advised they'll be back again, and I think that is fantastic.

On an absolutely tragic note, on Friday there was a fatal crash on the Bruce Highway. There were people travelling to this carnival who were, very unfortunately, involved in a terrible collision. Some individuals lost their lives, including the competitor from the Coomera Netball Club. In respect to her family, I will call her only as Olivia. She was eight, from the Gold Coast, and known as the 'queen of hugs' by her family. May she rest in peace.