Monday, 18 October 2021

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Rob Mitchell) took the chair at 10:30.

Dunkley Electorate: COVID-19

Ms MURPHY (Dunkley) (10:30): I am in parliament in Canberra today in a week that Victorians have done themselves absolutely proud—70 per cent double vaccination rates. The Premier said this morning he anticipates when we hit 80 per cent double vaccination rates we will be at 90 per cent single vaccination rates. It is an extraordinary effort by people in my community and communities across the state to take steps not only to just protect themselves and their families but to protect their communities. It's been an exercise in people looking out for each other. It has been and it will continue to be, let's be under no doubt, incredibly difficult getting through this pandemic but we couldn't have done it without each other.

This constituency statement today is dedicated to the pandemic heroes of Dunkley. I have a nominate your pandemic hero scheme for people across Dunkley and I have to say the response has been overwhelming and extraordinary. People are nominating others in the community who have done something special over the last 18 or so months which has helped them to get through lockdowns, restrictions and health challenges. I am not going to be able to go through all of them but I want to acknowledge here just some of the representative pandemic heroes of Dunkley.

Emily nominated Kate and Bernadette, who are her midwives at Frankston Hospital. Ashley nominated Joanne Kellet, who is a nurse at Frankston Hospital. Linda nominated Stacey Matheson, who is a nurse at the Nepean School, a special school, and Monash Children's Hospital. Andrew nominated Samuel Vance, a registered nurse at Peninsula Health, and Melissa nominated Anthea Hempel, who is a dialysis nurse at Frankston Hospital. Of course, we have acknowledged the amazing men and women who have run the testing facilities across our electorate.

Chelsea nominated Ainslie Jackel, who has provided free music classes to kids and moderated a mums' page. A lot of the 'COVID crew'—they call themselves—have nominated Andrew Wishart from X Factor Australia for his live music gigs for everyone. Basil wanted a shout-out for Jimmy and Jane Barnes. Jennifer nominated her husband, Renato Simone, who is a cleaner. Cleaners have been frontline pandemic heroes. We have had Trevor's wife, Donna Sweeney; Tammy's husband, Stuart Smith. Silvia nominated the amazing Sikh volunteers. Cody nominated his teacher Anthea at Chisholm TAFE. Rena Walsh nominated her head teacher. Teachers and parents have been extraordinary. Vets and vet nurses and support teams have been nominated by Helen.

Cafes across the electorate have kept people caffeinated.

Banks Electorate

Mr COLEMAN (Banks—Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) (10:33): I want to talk about St George Meals on Wheels, a tremendously important organisation in our local community, based at Olds Park Sports Club. Nahed Soliman and everyone involved at St George Meals on Wheels deserves tremendous credit. They deserve that credit all the time but they deserve it even more for their efforts during the recent lockdown period in Sydney. More than 150 volunteers help out at St George Meals on Wheels, who prepare meals, who drive and who make deliveries. It is a fantastic community organisation. Nahed has led it with tremendous skill for many years now. We are all incredibly conscious of the importance of the work they do. We thank St George Meals on Wheels for its fantastic efforts, not just during the pandemic but always.

Revesby Rovers Football Club has a proud history, dating back to 1950 and has produced two Socceroos in Robbie Slater, who is one of the better-known Socceroos in recent decades, and Steven O'Connor as well. They have a beautiful home ground down at Amour Park, and for all of those decades they have welcomed thousands and thousands of local families and local kids to play and enjoy the beautiful game that is football. More than 10,000 people play football in the Banks electorate. It is by far our largest sporting activity. It's through the efforts of people like Michael Tohmeh, President of Revesby Rovers, and all of the volunteers that so much good activity is able to happen. To Michael and everyone at Revesby Rovers, thank you so much for what you do for our community.

One of the oldest Girl Guides locations anywhere in Australia is in the Banks electorate at Mortdale. Mortdale Girl Guides has been around since the 1920s, so in the not too distant future it will be celebrating its centenary. The reason it has had such longevity is that the things that the girls learn at Mortdale Girl Guides are so important they have stood the test of time. Wonderful social skills development, making new friends, learning about personal responsibility and important values are so well communicated through the Girl Guides movement. It was good to catch up with Michelle and Karen the other day and talk about all of the work going on at Mortdale Girl Guides, the largest Girl Guides organisation anywhere in the Banks electorate. Thank you to all the volunteers.

Fraser Electorate: COVID-19 Vaccination

Melbourne: Infrastructure

Dr MULINO (Fraser) (10:36): I was delighted to support leaders of the Vietnamese community in my electorate this weekend to raise awareness and understanding of Australia's safe, free and effective vaccine program. Vaccines are our path back to doing the things that we love and seeing the people that we love. It is very gratifying that in Victoria this week we will reach 70 per cent double dosage and we will see many longstanding restrictions eased. We know we need to improve vaccination rates in some non-English speaking communities in particular and to combat misinformation in some of these communities. I praise the leadership of these communities throughout Melbourne's west and, in particular, in my electorate.

I want to especially thank the Vietnamese community in my electorate of Fraser for their leadership: the Vietnamese Community in Australia Victoria Chapter, the VMC, Australian Vietnamese Arts and the many Vietnamese-Australian doctors in Fraser. In particular, I call out the work of Dr Hai Phan and Dr Trang Wong, who were at the event I was at on the weekend. They are using their positions of influence for the good of the entire community. The Vietnamese community in Fraser has been literally rolling up its sleeves. Melbourne's west had vaccination rates slightly below Victoria's average for some time, but, like the rest of the west, its vaccination rates have been increasing at above the state average in recent weeks, which is very gratifying to see. I am deeply grateful to these leaders and organisations from across the Vietnamese-Australian community.

I would also like to thank the frontline workers and health professionals, who have given up so much over the last two years and are giving up so much right now to ensure that our rapid vaccination rates can continue to progress. These people have put themselves at risk, and these people have put in incredibly hard work over a long period of time. It is thanks in large part to their work that our community is going to be experiencing much-needed increased freedom over the coming weeks.

I'd also like to talk about rail infrastructure in Melbourne's rapidly growing west. I have met with many transport experts and community groups in recent months, talking about the need for increased rail expenditure in Melbourne's west. These include the Victorian Transport Action Group and the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group, which are groups that have been working for the betterment of living standards in Melbourne's west for many years. These groups understand the importance of integrated transport planning and infrastructure that benefits the communities in which it is located. We need more freight onto rail, especially into and out of the Port of Melbourne. We need better use of existing infrastructure and sensible decisions about new projects. The Morrison government should show more leadership and ensure that important initiatives like the North & West Melbourne City Deal and WIFT are delivered and properly funded. Both of these projects are currently drifting, and that is entirely inappropriate given the demands that we see, which are growing and already large in Melbourne's west.

Respiratory Disease

Ms HAMMOND (Curtin) (10:39): Approximately one in three Australians suffer from chronic respiratory conditions, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, mesothelioma and cystic fibrosis. One in nine are asthmatic. In Australia, deaths from respiratory conditions rank second-highest and above heart disease. Further, deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases have surged by approximately 37 per cent during the last decade. While some respiratory diseases are preventable through taking action like reducing atmospheric pollution and quitting smoking, currently available medicines are only capable of treating symptoms. Supporting and facilitating research is the only way that we can find new treatments and cures for the devastating lung diseases that impact Australians every year.

I recently visited two organisations leading the way in medical research into respiratory diseases, the Institute of Respiratory Health and the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases, to learn more about respiratory diseases and the impressive strides both organisations are making in their research. The Institute of Respiratory Health, located in the Harry Perkins institute in my electorate of Curtin, is an independent charitable organisation and Australia's only integrated scientific and clinical research institute dedicated specifically to investigating respiratory diseases. The institute conducts innovative basic and clinical research with the aim of enhancing our understanding of respiratory diseases, improving the diagnosis and management of these conditions and also their prevention. The institute's impressive research spans many areas, including asbestos related research, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and cystic fibrosis. While at the institute, I also met the director of the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases, Professor Anna Nowak. Established in 2007, NCARD aims to minimise the impact of asbestos related diseases on the Australian and international community. Asbestos is the No. 1 occupational cause of cancer worldwide, and over 4,000 Australians die each year from asbestos related diseases.

Given that the IRH and the NCARD share a common vision, are co-located and encourage cross-institutional collaboration, a highly productive and synergistic affiliation has been developed between the two organisations. Indeed, through their work, Western Australia has developed a nationally and internationally recognised reputation in the area of respiratory health science. They have phenomenal output in refereed journals and articles. As non-government, not-for-profit organisations, they are heavily reliant on the generosity of the community, organisations and foundations. I would like to thank both organisations and commend them on their outstanding research and work.

Eden-Monaro Electorate: Schools

Ms McBAIN (Eden-Monaro) (10:42): I rise to celebrate and acknowledge the incredible work and achievements of the year 12 students in my electorate. Students in regional areas often do not have the same opportunities as their city counterparts, but these students have gone above and beyond to help others to share their passions, and now they are being recognised for their efforts. I'd like to make a few shout-outs to our future leaders.

First up is Bega High School's Max Navarrete. I've had the pleasure of meeting Max on a number of occasions, and I can honestly say he's a very deserving recipient of the New South Wales Minister's Award for Excellence in Student Achievement. Max received this award for his demonstrated and strong commitment to his education. His citation noted that he is a well-rounded young man, demonstrating skills performing musically with his band and playing a range of sports at a high level, with high academic achievement in physics, advanced English, maths, PDHPE and music. More importantly, Max is a mentor and role model for younger students as well as a local life saver and learn-to-swim coach.

Another student who has recently been recognised for being a role model for local youth is Snowy Mountains Grammar School student Zac Corcoran. Just last month, the Governor of New South Wales presented Zac with a Youth Community Service Award through the Order of Australia Association, New South Wales, for 'exceptional service or engagement with their local community'. Zac recently represented Jindabyne at the Lions Youth of the Year and progressed all the way to the New South Wales state final. He is the coordinator of the Jindabyne Navy Cadets, volunteers with an aged care facility, tutors younger students in English and music and has organised fundraising in a charity event to support local farmers and families. It's pretty easy to see why he received this award.

My last shout-out goes to two Lumen Christi Catholic College students, Jade Short and Maxwell Arch, who were recently announced as winners in the 2021 Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. There were 2,800 entries into this competition, with six winners across different categories. Jade and Max were the only winners who were from a regional area. Jade and Max have spent around four months working on their award-winning entry, Murus. They have been making games together now for four years, each year learning and improving and building their game development skills. In fact, these two year 12 students already have their own business, where they connect, inspire and teach game development to people in the local area as well as through their online tutorial videos.

Congratulations to these four inspiring students. This acknowledgement and these awards are well deserved. But I also want to congratulate every student who is finalising school this year and preparing for their upcoming HSC exams. This year's cohort of year 12 students have had to overcome so much uncertainty to get to this point. They've adapted to learning from home and have gone weeks and months without seeing and connecting with their friends face to face, and many have missed out on celebrating important milestones. To all our year 12s out there: congratulations for getting through. You should be so proud of yourself. And I don't want to jinx myself but it's only up from here.

Cole, Ms Ellie Victoria OAM

Little, Ms Rosemary

Mr LEESER (Berowra) (10:45): I rise to commend the incredible sporting achievements of two of my constituents. Competing at every Paralympic Games since 2008, swimming champion Ellie Cole has won six gold medals, five silver and six bronze, including two medals at the recent Tokyo Paralympic Games. Coles's second relay medal at the Tokyo games gave her the title of Australia's most decorated female Paralympian of all time, with 17 medals from four games. It was therefore wonderful to see Ellie chosen as the Australian flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics. As well as her Paralympic achievements, Ellie also played wheelchair basketball for Victoria in 2013 and 2014. At age three, Ellie's right leg was amputated, as she suffered a life-threatening cancer. Rather than dwell on adversity, she has instead shown an incredible ability to overcome the odds. After her outstanding success at the London Paralympic Games in 2012, Ellie endured a heartbreaking shoulder reconstruction and was faced with the prospect of never swimming again. Rather than give in, she fought her way back and won six medals in six events at the Rio Paralympic Games. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2014 for her services to sport. In 2015 she won Cosmopolitan magazine's Sportswoman of the Year Award and was also listed in the Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards. She has also managed to complete a Bachelor of Health and Exercise Science degree at the Australian Catholic University. It's her humility and her never-say-die attitude that makes her a true inspiration.

Another local hero, Rosemary Little, was 12 years old when she contracted a form of autoimmune encephalitis causing spastic quadriplegia and dystonia. This meant she had to relearn the skills she'd developed up to that point and also means she has no memory of her life between the ages of 12 and 18. Rosemary first took up wheelchair racing after attending a Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Come n Try Day in 2003. She excelled in the sport immediately, but she was unfortunately just 0.02 of a second short of qualifying for the 2004 Paralympics. Rosemary then took a break from the sport, returning in 2011. The next year she made the Australian team for the London Paralympic Games, where she won bronze in the 100 metres T34. The following year Rosemary picked up silver in the 200 metres T34 and bronze in the 100 metres T34 at the World Para Athletics Championships in France. Rosemary was again selected to represent Australia at the 2015 IPC World Para Athletics Championships, but she was admitted to hospital the day before competition and was forced to withdraw. Recovering in time for selection, Rosemary was named on the Australian team for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where she achieved top-five finishes in the 100, 400 and 800 T34. Shortly afterwards she was diagnosed with a rare spinal tumour and spent nearly a year in hospital. Once again, she showed amazing strength. When her wheelchair classification was changed, she switched to shotput and went on to win gold in the 2019 Arafura Games in Darwin. In Tokyo she threw a personal best of 6.26 metres to finish a commendable fifth.

Congratulations to Ellie and Rosemary, not only for being great sportswomen but also for the leadership and inspiration that they give to all Australians.

Dobell Electorate: COVID-19

COVID-19: Vaccination

Ms McBRIDE (Dobell) (10:48): The past four months have been incredibly tough for people in my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales. We've faced vaccine shortages and an extended lockdown, with learning from home, and a hit to jobs in the local economy. But, when times get tough, Coasties stick together. We stand up for each other and we support each other. People on the Central Coast have made an incredible effort to get vaccinated against COVID-19 despite facing many challenges. Even though our vaccines were ripped away and taken to Sydney, our local pharmacies weren't included in the rollout from the beginning, and the government refused to set up a mass vaccination hub, Coasties still found a way to get vaccinated. Seventy-two per cent of people on the Coast have now received both jabs. This is a remarkable effort, so thank you to everyone who has been vaccinated so far.

On a personal note as a pharmacist-immuniser, it has been a privilege to join pharmacists across New South Wales and around Australia to boost Australia's vaccination rate. Pharmacists have administered over 898,000 doses of AstraZeneca to Australians so far and around 374,000 doses of Moderna. To pharmacists Robert King and Tim Holt, nurse-immuniser Rachel Foley, and the team at Kanwal Village Pharmacy, the service you're providing to our community is exceptional, and I'm pleased to be on board as a volunteer immuniser. But, having been part of the rollout, I can't understand how the Prime Minister can justify the remuneration to pharmacies.

Now that we've reached the critical vaccination rate, businesses on the coast have started to reopen, but it's not exactly business as usual. While many businesses are keen to open their doors again, many are anxious—which is understandable, because they're on the front lines of the new 'no vax, no entry' rule and they need our support. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the heart of our community. Thankfully some were able to trade during lockdown, and they certainly helped us through some tough times, like Ken's Humble Pie Shop at the Entrance, Toast & co cafe and Coco Rice & Noodle Bar—some of the best local food you can find. Others were forced to wind back or close down during lockdown, and now they're coming out the other side. Now we've started to reopen we have taken a big step forward. So, to local businesses on the coast who are standing tall, thank you, especially to those who weren't eligible for support or who are still waiting for support.

I would also like to thank everyone on the coast who helped our community get through the last four months, including our frontline workers, our volunteers and our community leaders. These include people like Douglas, who is a casual teacher on the Central Coast who spent every day in the classroom teaching students of essential workers. He was on the front line supporting young students to make sure they kept up with their schoolwork and taking care of their wellbeing. Then there's Alice. Alice is an aged-care worker who runs activities for residents. During lockdown she held an in-house Olympics, along with morning bingo sessions and dress-up days. She also took the time to sit down, one on one, with each resident every day to make sure they weren't alone. Then there are also people like Lyn, a volunteer at Meals on Wheels Central Coast. For the past five years she's been delivering meals to locals in need. During lockdown she picked up extra shifts to help out. To people like Douglas, Alice, Lyn, and all the coasties like them, you are true pandemic heroes. Thank you for getting us through this.

Sturt Electorate: Sporting Infrastructure

Mr STEVENS (Sturt) (10:51): It was a pleasure to have Minister Simon Birmingham in my electorate last week. Being a fellow South Australian, and with travel restrictions, it's been hard to get ministerial visits in and out of Adelaide, so having my good friend and the senior South Australian out in the electorate was a particular pleasure. We were able to go and inspect the progress that is being achieved at the Max Amber Sportsfield in Paradise in my electorate. This has had a $5 million contribution from the Commonwealth. With the local Campbelltown City Council, it's a $10 million upgrade of the facilities out at Max Amber. It was a great thrill to see what that money and what that commitment are already achieving at that sports field precinct.

There are a couple of elements to this project. The most substantial is the demolition and rebuilding of the major club rooms for the Athelstone Football Club and the Athelstone Cricket Club. That's now a two-storey complex, which is going to transform the facilities not just for players, with new change rooms et cetera, but for all the supporters of the club, including family and friends, who love going along on a Saturday. Whether it's during cricket season or footy season, watching good local sport, now they'll have fantastic local amenities. There are good bar and kitchen facilities there so that families and friends can make a really good day of supporting their local cricket and football teams.

Also in this upgrade we've ensured that we've got appropriate facilities for female participation in football and cricket. The previous facilities did not allow for the dignified participation in sport of female and male teams anywhere near each other at the same time. It has been a great development over recent years to see increased female participation in these sports but also appropriate investment by governments in making sure the facilities are appropriate to facilitate female and male participation side by side.

Along with that, the tennis club is being rebuilt there. That's a great outcome for the Athelstone Tennis Club. That should be open in just a few weeks. I hope I'm not in isolation on my return to Adelaide and that I won't miss the first game of the season. That will be the first time they get to use that new facility. I hope to be there as part of that, because it's going to be a very exciting day for the tennis club. Soccer has also received a major upgrade to their facilities. Finally, we're creating a new netball club as part of this investment. Two courts are about to have bitumen laid and a synthetic surface. So we get netball, cricket, football, soccer and tennis, as well as the other general recreational attributes of that vast open space in the heart of my electorate in Paradise. I'm thrilled to be part of a government that is investing in vital local sporting infrastructure in my community.

COVID-19: Morrison Government

Ms CHESTERS (Bendigo) (10:54): It's good to be back, after returning from mat leave. My son, Charlie, is now six months old. For the August sitting I participated remotely because, as you know, Deputy Speaker Rob Mitchell—our electorates are neighbouring—Bendigo, Victoria, has been through another coronavirus outbreak and we've been in and out of lockdown. So it's good to be back in Canberra and able to represent my constituents here.

A number of constituents and businesses have contacted me over the last fortnight. We've been quite fortunate in Bendigo: we haven't had to go into another lockdown, like some regional areas. Our vaccination rates are high, but we've still had minor outbreaks, and when somebody is infected or they are a close contact they are required to go into isolation, sometimes for 14 days or until they get a negative test result. As a result, a number of businesses in my area have had to close, because they don't have the staff available. Their staff are doing the right thing and are isolating and awaiting test results all because they are close contacts. The businesses get no support though. This government is not supporting these businesses right now as I speak. They've had to close their doors.

Last year, in 2020, there was some support from the federal government. This year there is none. Last year, in 2020, there was JobKeeper. Last year the government helped pay employees to turn up to work. This year the JobKeeper program ran out in March and there's been no support. There has been some support for workers who were in hotspots; the Commonwealth did have a payment for those workers, but, in Bendigo, because we were never declared a Commonwealth hotspot, or a red zone, we didn't receive any support at all. The state government picked up the tab and helped those workers out, but the ludicrous nature of this system is that this year, while we're moving into recovery, the government is paying people to stay at home. Last year, when we were in the depth of the pandemic, the government paid people to turn up to work. You can understand the confusion and frustration of businesses in my area who are trying to go through recovery.

Now that we're in the recovery phase and we're moving into that critical stage of the pandemic where people are vaccinated and we're starting to open up, businesses will have to close from time to time and workers will have to isolate from time to time so we can slow the spread of the virus, yet there is no support for the businesses doing the right thing. I urge the government not to walk away from businesses in central Victoria, but to find the funding to help them get through December and Christmas. They need support now. When workers do the right thing and isolate, when businesses close because they don't have the workers available or because they've been declared a tier 1 site in Victoria, they need cashflow support. Where is the government when the businesses most need it? It's missing in action. It's time that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer realise this and come up with a plan for reopening.

Lindsay Electorate: Roads

Mrs McINTOSH (Lindsay) (10:57): I'm passionate about easing congestion; improving safety, particularly on my local roads in the electorate of Lindsay; and making that daily commute safer and quicker for people across my community, helping people to spend more time building their business or at home with their families instead of stuck in traffic. That is why I fought so hard to deliver the $127 million to fully fund the upgrade to Dunheved Road. I knocked on the doors of families who are particularly impacted by this road, who use it every day, and I know how important it is to people in my community to get this upgrade happening.

Today I'm pleased to announce we've reached the next milestone in this important project. As it is a council road, Penrith City Council will have a community consultation process so local people can have their say. I want this upgrade to deliver the best outcomes for local families and businesses, improving traffic flow and enhancing safety for everyone who uses the road. That's why it is so important that locals make their voices heard and contribute to Penrith City Council's community consultation process. Our community's feedback will help inform the design of the upgrade.

From today, the consultation period will be open for submissions until Friday 12 November. The project will provide priority upgrades on Dunheved Road between Richmond Road and the Werrington Road and Christie Street intersection to ease congestion. Our community has been at the heart of this project from the beginning, and it was the support of local people for my petition which helped me deliver the full funding. I've always said: when we work together, we can achieve anything in my community of Lindsay, and we've seen this on countless occasions throughout the pandemic and the hard times of the lockdown, when our community banded together. It's what makes Lindsay such an incredible community. Upgrading Dunheved Road will continue to make our community even better. Residents from all over Lindsay have reached out to tell me what this upgrade means to them. I have spoken with people who've travelled this road each day for years, and I know what a significant impact this will have on their commute. For businesses getting their products across the country and around western Sydney and beyond, it will enable them to access new opportunities. This upgrade is so important, I want the people in our community to have their say. It is really important. So please do visit council's consultation page at www.yoursaypenrith.com.au/dunhevedroadupgrade. I can't wait for this upgrade to happen as soon as possible for my community of Lindsay.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Rob Mitchell ): In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.