Page 96 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019
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I would particularly like to thank past and present members of the Belconnen Community Council, including current and former chairs Damien Haas, Glen Hyde, Robyn Coghlan and Elizabeth Hirst, as well as stalwart members like Charles Thomas, Graeme Evans, Brian Rhynehart and many more who have been leading the community engagement on this throughout five very long years for some of us. I cannot wait to see what is next.
Australia Day awards
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.47): I would like to quickly mention some of the Canberrans who were acknowledged on Australia Day this year for their contributions.
First, I have to say how proud I am that the Senior Australian of the Year is our very own Canberran Dr Sue Packer OAM. Sue has been tireless in her efforts to raise awareness of issues affecting children, and I am sure will continue to shine an even closer spotlight on the issue of child abuse and neglect and the importance of child-friendly and child-focused services over the coming year.
I would now like to talk about two women I know personally who live in my electorate. The first is Ms Glenys Patulny of Kambah. She received an Order of Australia for her service to the community of Tuggeranong. I am sure that Mr Parton will join me in acknowledging that Glenys has been absolutely tireless as President of the Tuggeranong Community Council since at least 2005; I seem to think it was earlier than that.
She has been the chair and deputy chair of the southern catchment group since earlier than that, 2006, and was a founding member of that. She is a member of the National Landcare Network. She worked at Lanyon High School; she was one of the initial teachers there and she was deputy principal for over a decade. She is tireless working for the good of Tuggeranong, and Tuggeranong is incredibly lucky to have her.
The other person from Kambah I would like to acknowledge is Donna O’Brien. She is the recipient of an award for her services to football. I cannot talk much about her services to football, though I will note that she has been president, vice-president and chair of the Weston Creek soccer club since 1984. I know her as my gym teacher. She has done a lot in terms of gym suitable for senior Australians such as myself. I was in a class with her this morning. As Mr Rattenbury noted, I went to the Adani rally, and she told me, as I did not have quite enough time, that I could do my calf stretches while I was at the rally.
Donna was originally nominated for an OAM by Jenny Mobbs, I understand, from COTA. After that, it was realised that she has done a lot more than her contribution to senior Australians. But she has developed a whole range of exercise classes for seniors, and she runs weekly classes. There are well over 200 senior Canberrans who go to her classes, and she has won awards for her contribution to seniors.
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