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10326 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Monday 2 April 2012 __________ The Speaker (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 12 noon. The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Notices of Motions General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given. PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS __________ CRANEBROOK NEIGHBOURHOOD ADVISORY BOARD Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith) [12.04 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House the work of the Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board. With its mixture of family units and combination of public, private and community housing, the suburb of Cranebrook is as vibrant as it is challenging. The behind-the-scenes work of this board has resulted in a more harmonious and peaceful community. The Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board acts as a conduit bringing together local government and not-for-profit community support organisations such as the Nepean Community and Neighbourhood Services, Foothills Vineyard Church, Fusion Youth Services, Penrith City Council, Barnardo's Cranebrook, Braddock Public School, Penrith local area command, Cranebrook High School, Housing NSW, and Wentworth Community Housing and Community Health Services. The board taps into the various areas of expertise of these organisations, exchanging notes on changes and emerging problems within the community. They then work together on projects of mutual interest to weed out waste and inefficiencies whilst seeking to cover any emerging gaps in service delivery. One such initiative of the board is the establishment of the Cranebrook "What's On" pamphlets that are distributed to local families advertising the availability of various ways to engage with others in a safe and cooperative manner. The most recent flyer targets all sectors of the community and offers activities to seniors, playgroups for parents of small children, Indigenous outreach programs, after-school activities, homework help centres and programs for high school students. At first it may not sound like a huge initiative, but it helps to keep down the promotional costs of each program and allows organisers to return the focus to their core services—helping out those who live in Cranebrook. It should be noted also that each time a marginalised child or adult engages with one of these programs through a visit or phone call a link is formed with broader community services as well as the general community. These links are essential to identify potential issues that could merge into more serious problems. I am sure that as members of Parliament we all have seen how social isolation and lack of peer relationships outside immediate households affect some of our constituents and their families. One of the key benefits of the collaborative effort between Cranebrook's social services stakeholders is that it targets reducing the number of at-risk constituents. Over the past year the efforts of the Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board resulted in a number of changes across the suburb. The board advocated successfully for necessary, but often overlooked, items such as improvements to Kooly Park, better lighting over pathways and cleaning up of broken bottles from playgrounds. The board also seeks to expand its dialogue with other stakeholders within the suburb. I look forward to its ongoing success. One of the risks of a parliamentarian's job is failing to recognise the contributions of particular individuals. It would be remiss of me not to recognise a number of the representatives on the Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board. They include Deb Summerhayes, Lorraine Gentleman, 2 April 2012 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 10327 Julie Passau, Deborah Thomas, Monica Barac, Derek Jobson, Michelle Mays, Leone Read, Laura Williams, Toni Trent, Wesley Peters, Olivia Kidon and Tracy Leahy. I thank them for their ongoing commitment to this board and to the social health and wellbeing of the Cranebrook community. One of my experiences in dealing directly with this board often centres around Christmas functions at the Cranebrook Community Centre. One recurring theme and part of this organisation's branding is the importance of choosing respect. The board's branding is that "respect means to treat with care and consideration". In a diverse community such as Cranebrook this philosophy, branding and engagement across multiple community organisations is particularly important. The work of the advisory board and all of the organisations that engage with it should be recognised in the New South Wales Parliament. This type of ground-up community work makes many of the more challenging areas across the State work that little bit better. We should continue to encourage local government to engage with these organisations. It is great that Penrith City Council is involved with the Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board, which also has representatives from the NSW Police Force and the local area command. Those engagements across State and local government bodies with the people at the coalface of some of the more challenging areas of the State, such as Cranebrook in the Penrith electorate, should get the full support of this House. I recommend to other members that they seek out such organisations in their electorates to see what is happening on the ground. Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina—Minister for Local Government, and Minister for the North Coast) [12.09 p.m.]: On behalf of the Government I congratulate and acknowledge the wonderful relationship the member for Penrith obviously has with the Cranebrook Neighbourhood Advisory Board. I commend the board for the initiatives he has outlined in developing closer and more harmonious relationships with the local community. It is a very good example of what can be done. I congratulate the member on raising it. WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY Ms TANIA MIHAILUK (Bankstown) [12.10 p.m.]: Today is World Autism Awareness Day. As I mentioned in my inaugural speech, at the age of two my brother was diagnosed with severe autism. At that time, the early 1970s, 1ittle was known about the disorder. The term "autism" is often used as a general term to describe three closely related disorders. The more accurate umbrella term is autism spectrum disorder, which comprises autism disorder, Asperger's syndrome and atypical autism. Autism typically lasts the duration of a person's lifetime, with most people being diagnosed by the age of three years. People with autism experience impairment in social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behaviours, and of course there are degrees of autism. Although there is no cure, early intervention and appropriate programs can make a positive difference. Despite recent improvements in awareness, a number of misconceptions continue about the nature of autism. Not all but many people with autism are able to live rich and varied lives and participate actively in their local community. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Recreation Sports and Aquatic Club in Bankstown, of which I am proud to be patron. The President of the club is Mr John Gorri and the Manager is Mrs Jenny Bombardieri. The Recreation Sports and Aquatic Club provides social, sport and leisure opportunities for people who are mentally and physically disabled, including those with autism. I had the pleasure of meeting Joshua Crook, a member of the Recreation Sports and Aquatic Club, who is 24 years old. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Despite this, Joshua works part time as a library assistant at a university and for Autism Spectrum Australia, where he assists with data entry. Joshua attended De La Salle College at both Revesby and Bankstown campuses where he completed his Higher School Certificate. In his spare time he enjoys photography and computers. Recently Joshua was successful in obtaining his driver's license. It was rewarding to meet with Joshua and hear firsthand about his experiences. With the support that Joshua has received from groups like the Bankstown Recreation Sports and Aquatic Club and his family, he has been able to live a full and happy life. He told me that it is frustrating when people who are dealing with him do not know enough about autism. Blue is the official colour of World Autism Month and World Autism Awareness Day. The Light It Up Blue initiative has been running for three years to promote awareness of autism. In 2012 Light It Up Blue will once again be lighting up iconic landmarks in support of World Autism Awareness Month. I note that Madam 10328 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 2 April 2012 Speaker has asked that Parliament House be lit blue, and I congratulate her on that initiative. Landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and, I am proud to inform the House, a number of other landmarks across the State will be showing support for this great cause. Today I have chosen to wear blue as a sign of my support to increasing awareness for the disorder. It is estimated by Autism Spectrum Australia that one out of every 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder, and despite recent improvements a lot of misconceptions remain about the nature of autism. It is important that as parliamentarians and community leaders we assist in fostering a better understanding of the disorder. I take this time to thank the families, friends and service providers who support people with autism. Many people within our community quietly play their part and assist those with autism to lead happier and better lives. I commend these people and their great work to the House. Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina—Minister for Local Government, and Minister for the North Coast) [12.14 p.m.]: I join with the member for Bankstown who has identified the plight of those who suffer from autism. I thank her for drawing our attention to World Autism Awareness Day. I was interested to hear about Joshua and his achievements, particularly obtaining a driver's licence, which is no mean feat.