Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Deputy Speaker—and it's great to see you back in the chair after your maternity leave.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Noosa and its surf lifesaving community lost a passionate advocate in November last year, with the passing of Ross Thomas Fisher. Ross was a good friend to so many, including me, and he spent his life helping others. Ross and his wife, Suzette, moved to the Sunshine Coast from New Zealand in the 1980s. They settled in Noosa—for the coastal lifestyle—where they raised their children and operated an electrical appliance and services business. Ross joined the Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club in 1989, where he served in a range of roles, including many years as patrol captain, before he became president in 2016. In early 2025, Ross stepped down after nine years as president of the club, leaving a legacy that will continue to resonate through the surf lifesaving community for years to come.

Ross was instrumental in establishing the Beach to Bush surf education program, which gave Indigenous children from Cherbourg the opportunity to visit Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club to enjoy the beach and learn water safety skills. The Cherbourg Beach to Bush partnership has been running since 2018, and Ross would regularly travel to Murgon and Cherbourg, where he taught lifesaving skills in the pool before students participated in the program by travelling to Noosa for their beach education, swimming and surf activities.

Ross was a man of many talents. He was chair of the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club's sponsorship committee and had been involved in the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation's Surf Safe Noosa campaign since its inception in 2021. A member of Noosa Rotary for more than 36 years, Ross was club president in 1994 and 1995 and received one of Rotary International's highest honours when he was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2008 and 2009. From the time I was first elected to parliament in 2016, through the many sponsor breakfasts and events where we met over the years, it was always an absolute pleasure to work with Ross. His dedication, commitment and passion shone through in everything he did. I know that Ross is sorely missed, and I extend my condolences to his wife, Suzette, and their family. Rest in peace, Ross Fisher.