CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms McBAIN (Eden-Monaro—Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories and Minister for Emergency Management) (16:25): In Eden-Monaro, 19.3 per cent of people volunteer through a local organisation—that is much higher than the national average of 14.1 per cent. Today I rise to acknowledge and to thank them. As part of Volunteer Week this year, I presented over 100 certificates of appreciation to volunteers who had been nominated by their peers.

I'd like to table the list of this year's nominees from every corner of the mighty Eden-Monaro. I'd also like to take this opportunity to mention a few of them here today. It was a delight to meet Marulan local Lorraine Lorkovic, along with members of the Marulan and District Historical Society and the Marulan Football Club.

Born and bred in Marulan, Lorraine has been supporting the community for as long as anyone can remember. Lorraine's friends and colleagues describe her as 'a quiet achiever who just comes along, joins in and gets things done'. Lorraine, your contribution to the Marulan community is truly valued.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Sonja Simmons, who was nominated for her tireless efforts with the Lions Club of Bungendore & Districts and Bungendore Seniors Association. Sonia is a volunteer powerhouse. She volunteers for the Lions Club through weekly school breakfast clubs, organising events such as Paws Around the Pond and working on the Lions' barbecue.

She volunteers as a committee member for the Bungendore Seniors Association, where they appreciate her smile and generous nature. I saw this firsthand when I visited for a bootscoot morning in Bungendore recently. We are incredibly lucky to have Sonja in our community.

On Anzac Day, it was a privilege to recognise lifelong Bredbo resident Ken Bowerman, named the Cooma-Monaro RSL sub-branch Anzac of the Year. Ken's decades of dedication to the Snowy Monaro community are truly inspiring. His volunteer contributions span the Rural Fire Service, the local cemetery committee, the P&C, the progress association and a host of other organisations as well.

Ken was also a finalist for the Snowy Monaro Senior Citizen of the Year this year. Thank you so much for everything you do in our community, Ken. I have a shout-out for Cooma legend Pat Thompson, who regularly makes scones and sweet treats for events at the Cooma Car Club.

This is a simple but powerful reflection of the spirit of community volunteering. Pat is the kind of volunteer every community dreams of. She gives her time, energy and her kindness to the Cooma Car Club every week without asking for any recognition or reward.

While many know Pat for her delicious homemade scones—and I can confirm they are delicious—she provides something far greater to our community: it's the warmth, the generosity and a sense of belonging for anyone who comes through those car club doors. Pat's contributions may seem simple on the surface, but she is an irreplaceable member of the car club family.

This is a big shout-out to all those volunteers across Eden-Monaro. Thank you for the work that you do. We don't often get to acknowledge it, but when we do, we want to say thank you.