Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to start by quoting the Prime Minister: 'How good is Queensland!' I'd like to go one step further and say: 'How good is Townsville!' I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to the work of the Rotary Club of Townsville Sunrise in my electorate of Herbert and, in particular, their recent work to help a local mum, doing it tough, to support her daughter. Four-year-old Tahlia suffers from a rare neurological disorder that causes multiple daily seizures and severely restricts her mobility. Doctors say she will never be able to walk, crawl or feed herself. Tahlia's mum, Cassandra, takes care of her daughter on a full-time basis, relying solely on a carers pension to support Tahlia and herself.

Cassandra had been struggling to lift Tahlia in and out of her car and was desperately in need of a vehicle that could be fitted with a wheelchair lift. Rotary Club of Townsville Sunrise members Guy and Steven heard about Cassandra and Tahlia's story and took the project to the club. The job was simple: raise $50,000, and Tahlia gets the new car she needs. Tim McKee OAM was tasked with the job to raise the money, and his fellow Rotarians didn't let him down. Following a leadership donation of $10,000 from the Townsville Sunrise club, Mundingburra Rotary Club donated $5,000, and another six local Rotary clubs contributed.

While the combined effort of these eight clubs ensured that well over half the money was in the bank, more was needed, so Tim turned to some old mates in business to help with the rest. Pickerings Auto Group was the first corporate partner to offer support, by significantly discounting the cost of the Kia Carnival, the vehicle recommended by Tahlia's occupational therapist, Shannon Goodwin. Kia Motors Australia then came on board, discounting the cost of the vehicle even further. Not long after, Tim contacted Cassandra with the good news that all the money had been raised. Just over a week ago, Cassandra was handed the keys to a brand-new Kia Carnival wagon, fully converted with wheelchair access.

This activity, which was ultimately dubbed Project Tahlia, just goes to show the real value of Rotary to our community, even when business is doing it tough, as it has been in Herbert over the past few years. It makes me immensely proud to represent an electorate where stories like this aren't just one-offs but happen every day.