Madame/Deputy Speaker I rise to give an update on some of the positive outcomes that have been achieved in my electorate of Bonner.

As I have previously spoken about in this chamber, Bonner has benefited from a significant amount of Federal funding, and we have continued to deliver on our commitments to the area.

This month, I received the extremely good news that the Queensland RSL Manly-Lota Sub-Branch will be receiving $13,525 in Government funding. This will be provided under our restored Building Excellence in Support and Training, or BEST, grants programme.

The Manly-Lota RSL provides vital support to local veterans, and it’s wonderful to be able to supply this funding that will help the volunteers at Manly-Lota with their day-to-day work.

I am extremely proud of Bonner’s active veteran community and it was a privilege to attend services for Vietnam Veterans Day in August at the Wynnum RSL and also the Brisbane East Branch of the National Servicemen’s Association at the Manly Lota RSL Hall– it was a great honour to be asked to do a the Bible reading at the Brisbane East Branch’s service on the day.

On top of Manly-Lota’s BEST grant, the Government will also be providing $125,000 to Bonner under our ANZAC Centenary Local Grants programme. These funds will help local groups and organisations with projects and events that commemorate the coming ANZAC Centenary. I look forward to seeing these wonderful projects that have been set up to honour the Centenary being rolled out throughout Bonner.

This month has also seen the rollout of a number of Green Army projects in Bonner. The Government is now recruiting young people aged 17 to 24 to take part in rehabilitation projects in Mansfield, Wynnum North, Minnippi Parklands, Rochedale, and Carina. Local youths who sign up will be some of the first in Australia to take part in this crucial environmental initiative.

Several young people in Bonner have also benefited from individual grants to help them pay the costs of participating in state, national or international sporting competition. A total of 15 young sportsmen and women from Bonner, whom I was happy to nominate for funding, have received Local Sporting Champions grants of $500 to help cover their costs.

I was so happy to hear from Laura Tyson and her mother Dee about how the $500 grant she received helped her attend the World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Paris. I’m glad Laura was able to have this wonderful experience, and I look forward to helping many more young athletes like her in future.

 Primary school students across Bonner will benefit from $100 million that the Government is putting into its new Sporting Schools initiative over the next three years. From next year, local primary schools can apply for grant money that can be spent on their sporting activities throughout the year. I’m pleased that primary schools in Bonner will have these funds available to them to help their students into a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Students who would benefit include the wonderful boys and girls at St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, whom I was thrilled to meet with last month. They had some great questions for me about Australian politics and life in Parliament House. I thank them and their teachers for their insight and for a lovely morning out.

Following up my previous update, I am pleased to report that the improved safety measures at Minnippi Parklands in Tingalpa are going ahead smoothly.

We have provided $70,000 in funds to go toward safety measures that will include new CCTV cameras in the area.

I would like to thank the members of the Tingalpa Model Aero Club, who have given their time and assistance in implementing the new safety measures at the Parklands. They’re a great bunch who are doing their annual fly-in to Norfolk Island this October. I was happy to arrange some meetings for them for their time over there. I wish Allen Danvers and the rest of the TMAC team the best, and I look forward to hearing the outcomes of their trip.

Finally, I am so pleased to report that the volunteers at the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed have been doing well. Just last week I heard that five volunteers at the Shed have been working on an important G20 project. They are constructing a giant 3D “E”, which will be used to form a 25 metre-long sign of the word “BRISBANE” that will go on display in the lead-up to the G20 Cultural Celebrations later this year.

It’s great to hear the men at the Shed have taken a lot of satisfaction out of the project. It’s just one example of the great work the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed does, and I look forward to seeing what else they achieve, with the help of the $100,000 in funding we will be providing them.

 Thank you.