CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mrs McINTOSH (Lindsay) (16:54): There are weekends that remind you exactly why it's such a privilege to represent your community, and this weekend across Lindsay, I saw again why I believe I represent the best community in the country. I started at the Penrith Relay For Life and she was particularly special. We celebrated 25 years of Relay in Penrith, bringing together cancer survivors, carers, families, volunteers and supporters.

There's something incredibly powerful about watching that first survivors and carers lap. Behind every person walking is the story of a diagnosis of treatment, of fear, of courage or of standing beside someone they love. And then our community does what it does best; it wraps its arms around people and says, 'You don't have to do this alone.' This year, Penrith Relay for Life has raised more than $119,000.

Across those 25 years, our community has raised an extraordinary $4.3 million. That's a great legacy. Thank you to Cancer Council, Penrith Relay for Life committee, every volunteer, every team member, every fundraiser and every survivor, carer and family who has made this milestone so special.

Then, on Sunday morning, I had the honour of joining our local Navy community for the Nepean/Blue Mountains Naval Association's Crossing the Bar commemoration. It was deeply respectful. It was held to honour 13 past members who had crossed the bar, remembering their service, their lives, their families and the shipmates they've left behind.

I thank the Nepean/Blue Mountains Naval Association, our veterans, our families and our cadets, and a special acknowledgement to Captain the Hon. Peter Collins, who delivered the main address. The words of the 'Naval Ode' capture that remembrance so powerfully: 'They have no grave but the cruel sea.' On Sunday morning, we remembered them.

On Sunday afternoon, in glorious Penrith sunshine at the Paceway, came another kind of courage. The Steps for Love of Living walk finished in Penrith after a really long journey from Newcastle, beginning on World Suicide Prevention Day. It was not simply about the kilometres walked; it was about starting conversations and reminding people who may be struggling that they matter, that people do care and that asking for help is a sign of strength.

Congratulations particularly to Lou Greco from the Australian Man Cave Support Group and everyone who walked, supported and turned up, including Wayne Wilmington and so many other familiar faces. Cancer, service and mental health may seem like three very different stories, but on this weekend just gone they had something very much in common. People showed up.

They showed up for people who are fighting cancer, they showed up to remember those who have served and they showed up for people who might be fighting a battle no-one else can see. That is my community—from Penrith and St Marys to Colyton, Luddenham, Londonderry and all the wonderful suburbs in between—and I could not be prouder to represent them in this parliament.