Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care and Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the pleasure of joining the Darley community to celebrate the upgrade of Federation Park—fantastic new facilities for local families, backed by $400,000 from the Albanese Labor government. The works have genuinely transformed the reserve. It's the kind of upgrade that makes a real difference to how families actually use and enjoy the space over the weekend. It is more accessible, safer and has nice dunnies—a much better day out overall. I was also thrilled to join the Victorian member for Eureka, Michaela Settle, at the Bacchus Marsh Racecourse and Recreation Reserve to kick off construction of the new Community and Multi-Sports Hub. Four million dollars from the federal government's Thriving Suburbs Program and $4½ million from the Victorian state government will deliver a facility that serves our whole community for years to come.

Anzac Day is always one of the most important days on our community calendar, and this year was no different. I attended the Ballan RSL dawn and afternoon services, the Melton RSL service and the Melton Christian College commemorative service. Wreaths were laid on my behalf in Bulla, in Bacchus Marsh and at Sunbury RSL. I also want to acknowledge the Blackwood and Myrniong communities for their own local services. The effort that goes into every single one of these ceremonies—the early starts, the volunteer hours, the dedication to getting it right—makes a huge difference. To every veteran and service organisation across Hawke: thank you for your enormous contribution and for the incredible work that you do to make sure that we remember those that serve our nation.

I give a big shout-out to Principal Andrew Harrison and the students at Pentland Primary School, who recently hosted the Speaker of the House of Representatives for a session on civics and democracy. Seeing young people asking great questions and thinking about what kind of country they want to grow up in was one of the highlights of my month.

Finally, I have a big shout out to Harley Elliott from Sunbury. Harley's 10 years old. In 2025 he organised a fundraising campaign, running 30 kays in 30 days, every single day in rain, hail or shine. He raised over $8,000 for family violence awareness. He and his mum, Ash, did their own marketing. They engaged schools, students and councils and spoke publicly to educate people all across our community. He also volunteers at a local aged-care home, visiting residents, delivering gifts and sharing his stories of the day. I've had the privilege of joining Harley for two runs. He's now on a mission to raise awareness and money for Dolly's Dream, a charity that provides prevention programs and response strategies to address bullying. He's an inspiring young man making a big difference in our community, and it's no surprise that Harley was named a finalist in the 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards. Harley, Hawke is very proud of you, mate. Keep it up.