Tuesday, 22 May 2018 Legislative Assembly- PROOF Page 1 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday, 22 May 2018 Presiding Officers ABSENCE OF THE SPEAKER The Clerk announced the absence of the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker (The Hon. Thomas George) took the chair at 12.00. The Deputy Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country Visitors VISITORS The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I extend a warm welcome to my guests Uday Huja, Jason Alcock, Dany Karam, Christopher Smith and Buddika Gunawardana, who are chefs from The Star visiting the Parliament today. [Notices of motions given.] Private Members' Statements TRIBUTE TO SUPERINTENDENT JULIAN GRIFFITHS Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (12:13): I rise to discuss and farewell the outgoing commander from the Sutherland Shire Police Area Command, Superintendent Julian Griffiths. Our local media has publicised that Superintendent Griffiths has been moved from the Sutherland Shire Police Area Command into the St George Police Area Command. Those of us who have had the opportunity to work with the superintendent, and to know him well, are going to miss him dearly. Media reports have not captured that Superintendent Griffiths is a capable and competent commander who has always been dedicated to serving the local community. He has done that in his capacity as a superintendent of both the Sutherland Shire Local Area Command and the merged Sutherland Shire Police Area Command over the past six years. I was recently told a story about Superintendent Griffiths which highlights the depth of his care and the lengths that he has gone to for the community. It is about the recent fires in the western part of the shire, in Menai, Alfords Point and Barden Ridge. Superintendent Griffiths was essential in organising much-needed reinforcement from the NSW Police Force through the Aviation Support Branch, or PolAir. This story has not been told previously but PolAir provided situational awareness and enabled decisions to be made based on live aerial footage that was broadcast directly from the chopper to headquarters for the viewing of Superintendent Griffiths, Superintendent Andrew Pinfold from the NSW Rural Fire Service [RFS] and anyone else involved in operational command. I am told that this was the first time that PolAir has been used for this purpose in the Sutherland Shire Local Government Area. Superintendent Griffiths was instrumental in arranging that resource. I am told that, if we had not had this intelligence platform during the fires, property would have been destroyed—that is, people's homes. That might seem like a stretch for some, but that level of intelligence was vital to pinpoint such information as the width of the head of the fire, the time to impact and the exact street the fire was approaching. I understand that Superintendent Griffiths and Superintendent Pinfold had the ability to talk directly to the pilot and ask him to point the cameras in specific directions to relay the information that they required. Without that, I cannot tell you how devastating it would have been for the community. I have spoken locally about how amazing it was that no homes were lost during the fires. Not much thought has been given to what separated that fire from some others. We have some amazing local emergency services in the form of the police, the State Emergency Service, the RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW—they were incredible—but PolAir provided the missing piece of the puzzle. PolAir was in the air with state-of-the-art technology, relaying information to those on the ground who were making decisions. That explains why we had such a fantastic outcome. I thank Superintendent Griffiths not only for his insight and drive to bring about the joining of PolAir with the RFS on the ground but also for all of the times he has made himself available both to members of Parliament, including me, and members of the community who want to discuss things with the police—he has always gone above and beyond. The Sutherland Shire is rare Tuesday, 22 May 2018 Legislative Assembly- PROOF Page 2 in that it can regularly be affected by both fire and flood, along with other devastation that police encounter regularly. Superintendent Griffiths has had his hands full for many years. I thank him for his commitment to the community. Our loss will be St George's gain, and I know that he will succeed and flourish there. I also welcome incoming Superintendent Jason Box, whom I and other members will have a wonderful time working with. I wish Superintendent Julian Griffiths all the best for the future. VOICE, INTERESTS AND EDUCATION OF WOMEN Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown) (12:19): Today I bring to the House's attention the women's volunteer organisation, VIEW. VIEW is an acronym for the voice, interests and education of women. This is an organisation with an all-women membership base, raising awareness about and advocating for the education of children. I speak about VIEW today because it is an organisation effecting significant positive change within the Charlestown community. Helping disadvantaged children to succeed at school will have a lasting impact on their lives and for generations to come. VIEW has more than 15,000 members across Australia, supporting the Smith Family's work to improve educational outcomes for underprivileged children and young people, mainly through their flagship program, Learning for Life. VIEW clubs that have members in my electorate include Belair, Belmont, Hunter and Redhead. Recently in my office in Charlestown I met with Ms Anne-Louise O'Connor, the Nationals councillor for the Hunter and Central Coast councils,. Anne is committed to spreading the word of VIEW and the relationship they have with the Smith Family. VIEW members dedicate more than 50,000 volunteer hours each year. They generously give their time to community and national activities organised by VIEW Clubs. They raise vital funds for the Smith Family and contribute more than $1 million every year to the Smith Family's programs for young people in need. VIEW women assist with life-changing mentor programs for children by helping parents to develop the numeracy skills of their children aged three to five years and pairing children with reading buddies who can provide advice and encouragement as they read together. VIEW women also help to run art workshops and creative courses that unleash potential and build confidence, and match students with positive role models to help to realise their aspirations for the future. Nationally, VIEW members sponsor more than 1,100 disadvantaged students, enabling them to get the most from their education through assistance and support from the Smith Family's Learning for Life program. Through its supportive network, VIEW women also build lasting friendships, empowered and connected by the common purpose to make a difference to Australian children in need. VIEW is always looking for women of all backgrounds and ages to join them. I particularly encourage young women who are looking for volunteer work and who want to make a positive change to consider joining VIEW. VIEW Club members across Australia come together as friends to hear from guest speakers, exchange interesting ideas and socialise with like-minded women, while also raising important funds. VIEW women benefit from taking part in regular events, including galas, theatre nights, travel tours, social gatherings, conferences and the biennial VIEW National Convention, where members hear inspiring guest speakers, learn more about the changing world and network with other members. VIEW women benefit from the satisfaction that comes through providing essential support to disadvantaged children, so they can make the most of their educational and learning opportunities. They also benefit from developing leadership, public speaking, digital literacy and event management skills. I believe that the best satisfaction and friendship comes through helping others, and that is an objective that is shared by this organisation. When I met with Anne-Louise, I was incredibly impressed by her passion to improve the lives of disadvantaged children. While VIEW members might not know who exactly they are supporting and exactly where the other student is from, they know they are contributing towards the Learning for Life program. They participate because they genuinely want to improve someone else's life, whether or not they know that young person. Children from my electorate of Charlestown and in other places across New South Wales are benefiting from the work done by VIEW women. I commend all VIEW members, particularly those VIEW members in my electorate of Charlestown, for creating better futures for children through education. We know that education is the great equaliser in our society. Anything that that groups such as VIEW can do to support that equalisation is to be absolutely commended. I commend the work of VIEW to the House. OXLEY ELECTORATE Mrs MELINDA PAVEY (Oxley—Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight) (12:23): It is with great pleasure that I congratulate a wonderful woman, Bellingen Shire resident Heather Connell, who has just received a Distinguished Service Medal for her work as a Red Cross volunteer. Heather has been a member of the Bellingen Red Cross for 33 years, joining in 1984 and serving as president from 1996 to 2002. Youthful 82-year-old Heather is recognised for her decades of work as a Red Cross volunteer Tuesday, 22 May 2018 Legislative Assembly- PROOF Page 3 and her tireless and loyal dedication—from selling merchandise to taking part in Red Cross Calling, donating generous prizes, working on street stalls and helping people through the personal support team. Two Saturdays ago I was with Heather. She was so proud of her award and so excited to have been recognised. Local Red Cross members tell of Heather's excellence in a crisis, noting her assistance during numerous floods in Bellingen.