Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I was delighted to attend the opening of Racing Together's new headquarters in garages at Queensland Raceway, Willowbank, in my electorate, the home of motorsport in Queensland. Racing Together is a fantastic community organisation dedicated to supporting young First Nations people to participate in motorsport and boost Indigenous representation in the industry. Established by Chair Gary Connelly AM and his wife, Monique, in 2020, the organisation provides Indigenous young people with driver training and mechanical knowledge and with an opportunity to pursue a career in the sport as a driver or race team member. Racing Together imparts valuable career and life skills, including personal health and wellbeing, social responsibility, communication skills and teamwork, setting these young people up for success.

Racing Together has liaised closely with First Nations groups. From the 10 original team members, four now have jobs in the industry, one has gone on to university and two have gained full-time employment elsewhere—an amazing track record. The organisation has won support from all levels of the sporting and motorsport world, from formula 1 world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to Australia's leading supercar team owners and the Australian Sports Foundation, and it won the FIA president's equality, diversity and inclusion award last year. Welcome to Ipswich, Racing Together.