STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator BRAGG (New South Wales) (13:41): I'd like to acknowledge the fantastic volunteer work of the people who support the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. I was able to visit there a couple of weeks ago and see the great work the volunteers do. The couple hundred people who go there for a meal are extremely grateful for that service as well as for the hot showers they provide and the other services that they are a hub for.

Not only do they have the site at Kings Cross; they also have one at Bondi. Regrettably, these services are under more pressure than ever as we see homelessness and rough sleeping rise across New South Wales. In fact, it's gone up by five per cent in the last year.

The service provided by the Wayside Chapel will be well known to many Australians. It really is an institution which runs on the smell of the volunteers' labour and good grace. I shudder to think what these people would do without the services provided by Wayside and St Canice's Kitchen over in Darlinghurst.

I want to acknowledge the great work of Wayside. Thanks to all the people who give up their time to help prepare meals, serve people, give them a friendly face and give them some advice they might need, as they try and get people back on their feet and back to doing something that they want to do.