CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms TRISH COOK (Bullwinkel) (09:33): Today I rise to express my sincere thanks to the federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Murray Watt. He visited my electorate of Bullwinkel recently, and it was a privilege to showcase the incredible dedication of our local conservationists and the unique biodiversity that we're so fortunate to have in our own backyard in Western Australia.

Our first stop was the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre in Martin. Kaarakin is a vital sanctuary, currently rehabilitating around 300 black cockatoos. These birds are icons of the WA skyline, and ensuring their survival is a priority for our entire community.

I was pleased to have the minister there to hear firsthand about the plight of these birds and the urgent need for facility upgrades and additional funding to support Kaarakin's amazing work. We also visited the dedicated team at Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Lesmurdie. Kanyana is a cornerstone of wildlife care in the Perth Hills.

It provides a lifeline for sick, injured and orphaned native animals while it leads critical breeding programs for threatened species. Seeing their hospital and education programs in action reinforces how much our local environment relies on the tireless efforts of volunteers. I want to send a massive shout-out to the staff and volunteers at both Kaarakin and Kanyana.

Your passion is the heartbeat of these operations, and I specifically want to congratulate Kaarakin's founder and the City of Gosnells councillor Glenn Dewhurst for his enduring commitment. These facilities are a credit to everyone. Protecting our environment is a collective effort, and I encourage everyone to support these centres through donations or volunteering.

I look forward to working with Minister Watt to continue to champion the resources that they need to do their vital work. I also rise today to recognise the cornerstone of community safety in the Perth Hills. We celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Mundaring Firefighters School.

What makes this milestone truly remarkable is that this is a place where volunteers train other volunteers. It's a cycle of mentorship and shared responsibility, and over 9,000 people have been trained there over the last 30 years. To every volunteer, both the trainers passing on their wisdom and the trainees stepping up for the first time: thank you.

You embody the spirit of service that defines Mundaring. May the next 30 years for the Mundaring Firefighters School be just as productive as the last 30 years has been, and may it show the same sense of courage, commitment and collaboration that brought us to this proud day. Congratulations, Mundaring Firefighters School, on 30 years of keeping us safe.