House debates

Thursday, 29 November 2018

Constituency Statements

Turramurra Trotters, North Shore Temple Emanuel, StreetWork

10:51 am

Photo of Paul FletcherPaul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge a diverse range of organisations in my electorate of Bradfield. I would first like to acknowledge the Turramurra Trotters, which is a group of fitness enthusiasts, based in the suburb of Turramurra, who have been gathering regularly since 1974 to hold regular runs around the beautiful North Shore leafy suburb of Turramurra and surrounding regions. They first came together as a training group for the City2Surf. Over the years, their coordinator and leader, Alan Cole, has done tremendous work in keeping them together, in organising events and in recording times. On Saturday I was pleased to join the group at 6:30 am to go for a 6.5 kilometre run through the leafy streets of Turramurra, which is mostly fairly flat but with one or two fairly hilly bits. At the end of that I was then very pleased to present an Australian Government Certificate of Recognition to Alan Cole for his voluntary work bringing together and coordinating the Turramurra Trotters. Some 40 participants were there and they were very pleased to see Alan being appropriately recognised.

I'd also like to acknowledge the very important contribution to my electorate made by North Shore Temple Emanuel, one of the four synagogues in my electorate of Bradfield, but it serves areas well beyond my electorate of Bradfield. A very significant event was held on Sunday—a service marking the installation of the senior rabbi, Rabbi Nicole Roberts. It was wonderful to see an accomplished woman being appointed as the senior rabbi of this very significant institution. There was a very joyous feeling at the service as her achievements were acknowledged and there was great faith expressed by many speakers in her capacity to lead the synagogue and lead that important faith community. I was very pleased to be there.

I would also like to acknowledge StreetWork, a wonderful organisation doing work with vulnerable young people throughout the northern area of Sydney. To fund that work they need to work constantly at fundraising. They do many things throughout the year. A couple of weeks ago, they held an event at Hornsby Mall, towards the northern end of my electorate. I was very pleased to be there to lend my support and to have the pleasure of pushing one of the youth workers around on a go-cart, which was hard work! It was great to acknowledge the work of StreetWork.