CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr HOGAN (Page—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (16:55): I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate two competitors from the Grafton Athletics Club and their recent success at the Australian Athletics Championships held in Sydney. William Tait, who competed in the 400-metres hurdles, finished second, with a qualifying time of 52.38 seconds, which achieved the world junior standard.

He now holds the second-fastest under-20s time in Australia. William has now been selected to represent Australia in the 400-metres hurdles at the World Athletics under-20s championships in Oregon, USA, this August. Congratulations, William.

And Annika Swift made the 100- and 200-metres finals at the championships. Annika also ran the anchor leg in the 4 x 100-metres mixed state relay team and powered the team home to win gold and secure the Australian title. Congratulations to Annika.

I'd like to congratulate 15-year-old Ayla Kowalczyk from Wollongbar on her selection in the Australian Commonwealth Games parasports program to compete in long jump at Glasgow. Earlier this year, Ayla competed at the Australian Athletics Junior Championships, where she broke the Australian under-15s long jump record, finding herself in Australia's top rankings and named an Australian champion.

Ayla is coached by her father, Zenon, and represents Ballina Allstar Athletics and the North Coast Academy of Sport. Ayla was named the 2025 NCAS athlete of the year after breaking national records and achieving multiple personal bests throughout the year. She's dreaming big for the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics.

I wish her every success in Glasgow, and I know her family are very proud. I'd like to congratulate the Bonalbo CWA on its 100th birthday, to be celebrated this month. The branch held its first meeting on 26 June 1926, with the goal of establishing a local hospital, which opened in 1930 on the current Bonalbo MPS site.

The Bonalbo CWA Younger Set, formed in 1933, raised funds to furnish a hospital ward and later built the Bonalbo CWA rest rooms, which opened in 1938. Although the CWA later gave up the building, it was repurchased in 2024 and will be restored, bringing the organisation back to its original home. Today the branch is led by President Helen Tart; Vice President Judy Spargo; secretary, Helen Negus; treasurer, Ivy Hsieh; cookery officer, Veronica Moore; and publicity officer, Sharon Tucker.

I congratulate all past and present members on this remarkable milestone and thank them for their service to the Bonalbo community.