CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms KARA COOK (Bonner) (17:10): If you've ever enjoyed a fresh oyster at a Brisbane restaurant, there is a good chance that that shell ended up at OzFish, helping restore the reef in Moreton Bay in my electorate of Bonner. Recently, the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, joined me at OzFish to mark the delivery of Labor's $1.5 million commitment to support oyster reef restoration in Moreton Bay.
For communities across Bonner, Moreton Bay is more than a beautiful backdrop; it is where locals fish, kayak, boat and spend time with family and friends. It is also a vital natural environment that our community values deeply. OzFish is taking recycled oyster shells, placing them in specially designed baskets and returning them to Moreton Bay to rebuild natural reef habitats.
These oysters are very hard workers. A single oyster can filter more than 150 litres of water every single day, improving water quality, supporting marine life and helping create healthier ecosystems right across the bay. The project is also creating opportunities for local volunteers to get involved in protecting and restoring our waterways.
I want to thank OzFish and the volunteers for the incredible work that they do. This is what practical environmental action can look like, thanks to the Albanese Labor government. It was a privilege to recently welcome almost a hundred of our newest Australians at a citizenship ceremony hosted by Kairali Brisbane at the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds.
It was a celebration of belonging, community and new beginnings. There is something incredibly special about witnessing people officially become Australian citizens, taking the pledge surrounded by family and community after what has often been a long journey to call this country home. Becoming an Australian citizen is about more than paperwork; it is about belonging, it's about becoming part of our community and it's about helping shape the future of the country that we all share together.
Australia's strength has always been its diversity—people who bring their cultures, languages, stories and experiences and help build the social fabric of our community. In Bonner, we are incredibly fortunate to have such a vibrant multicultural community. That is I why want to highlight an incredible opportunity for our local multicultural organisations.
The Albanese Labor government is investing up to $41.6 million through the infrastructure grants for multicultural communities program, so I encourage all of our multicultural communities to look at the grants portal and get involved in this wonderful opportunity. Grants from $20,000 right through to $1.5 million are available to support our multicultural communities locally.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Lawrence ): In accordance with standing order 103, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.