House debates

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Constituency Statements

Forde Electorate: Golf Fore Women, Forde Electorate: Youth and Family Service

10:15 am

Photo of Bert Van ManenBert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise to speak in this place about a couple of great organisations in my community. Firstly, I'd like to thank Janine Barney, an inspirational woman in my electorate of Forde who founded the Golf Fore Women program at Windaroo Lakes Golf Club. This year the group had a record number of ladies attend their Chip and Sip event at Windaroo Lakes golf course to raise money for charity. They came together to support and enjoy a great game of golf and raise funds for breast cancer awareness. All dressed in pink, Janine's group raised over $1,000 to donate to breast cancer research. I've been to one of their previous events and I know they have a heap of fun. I wonder sometimes whether there's more sipping than chipping, but they have a great afternoon. I want to thank Janine for her passion for the local community and for supporting a very important cause in raising money for breast cancer awareness. I have no doubt that Janine and the whole team at Windaroo Lakes Golf Club will continue to build their women's golf program.

I'd also like to acknowledge the terrific work done by the remarkable people at YFS at Slacks Creek. They are actually in my neighbouring colleague's—Jim Chalmers'—electorate of Rankin, but they provide services down into my electorate of Forde as well. YFS operates on the premise of connectedness: all people need a stable home; a decent income; they need to be safe and have connections with family, friends and community support; they need skills, education and training; and, finally, everyone needs hope for the future and the belief they can achieve their aspirations. Their time is spent dealing with situations where both critical and urgent care are the norm, where a problem solved can mean a life is saved, where previously insurmountable issues are solved with a phone call, where desperation can be replaced by hope, and where the threat of overwhelming violence and abuse is overcome by a safe haven.

We are so lucky in our community of Logan that we have organisations such as YFS and the wonderful work that they do, and people like Janine and her team at Windaroo Lakes Golf Club. I want to commend all of their efforts for making our community what it is today. It ensures that the people who are struggling day to day, and who need help and assistance, have that help and assistance available. I'm very proud of all of their efforts, and that of the many others in our community as well.