A proposed aged care development in Lota has united my bayside constituents like few others. I phone canvassed the area and stopped by the local Manly Markets recently. The number one issue for locals by far was the proposed Lota House development.

Lota House is a significant two-storey Queensland Heritage building that was constructed in the late 1800s. It’s surrounded by heritage listed woodland. There’s now a development application in place to build a seven-storey high-rise retirement facility on this heritage site.

A development of this height and size is simple incompatible with existing development in Lota. It will present a traffic nightmare for surrounding residents. And there are also the adverse historical and environmental impacts on the area to consider.

Every single local I’ve spoken to about the proposal have raised these objections with me. They’ve now started the Bayside Action Group to come out in force against it. It was great to meet with them last week at the site and see people power in action. It’s a testament to people power that the Lord Mayor has now said that Brisbane City Council is very concerned about the proposal.

I’ve written to the Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick on this matter. I’ve asked the Minister to reject the current development application and to ask the applicants to redraft their proposal after consulting with the local community.

I look forward to updating the bayside community on this critical issue. I’d like to thank the local advocates who first brought this to my attention. Their passion and hard work to preserve the character and amenity of their suburb is admirable.

It was great to see the Minister for Sport launch the Move It Australia—Better Ageing Grant Program last month. With our ageing population, it’s more important than ever to get older Australians up and moving. The Better Ageing Grant Program has grants of up to $2 million available to help deliver sporting programs to Australians over 65. I want to encourage local sporting, local community, local non-government and local government organisations in my electorate to apply.

There are some fantastic sporting initiatives in Bonner for seniors. Walking football is one of them, and it’s taking off in the electorate. Bayside United Football Club and Wynnum 60 and Better Program have organised walking only soccer matches for older locals. I played one of their matches recently. Players told me that it was great to be able to participate in a team sport that wasn’t too hard on their bodies but kept them active, fit and social. I have to thank Bayside United president Greg Pascal for championing the sport and helping it grow in the electorate.

Bayside United plans to run two walking football competitions in the near future. One will be for 50- to 59-year-olds; the other will be for over-60s. I actually turned 52 last week, so you could say I have a shot at a soccer championship one day! Actually, seeing how the players walked rings around me on the field the other day, I’d have really no chance! Well done to Bayside United and Wynnum 60 and Better. I can’t wait to see things kick off soon.

Last month I spoke about one of the extraordinary volunteers in my electorate, Irene Edwards. Earlier this year Irene received a Medal of the Order of Australia for her volunteer work at Wynnum Manly Meals on Wheels and other local organisations.

Today I want to talk about her husband Ken Edwards, also OAM. Ken is the President of the Wynnum Manly Meals on Wheels. Thanks to Ken’s efforts and other Meals on Wheels volunteers, and the support of the community, construction on the brand new Wynnum Manly Meals on Wheels kitchen and community centre at Wakerley has begun. It’s been a decades-long journey for Ken and the others. It’s a great story I wanted to share, one that others can take inspiration from.

I’m proud to support an outstanding organisation like Meals on Wheels. I think we all know someone Meals on Wheels has helped, whether it’s themselves or an aged, frail or disabled relative or friend. I very much support efforts to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable members of our society; the Coalition government’s announcement of the aged care royal commission this week was very welcome.

But getting back to Meals on Wheels, the volunteers at Wynnum Manly have made such a huge difference at the local level. I turned the first sod at the new Wakerley site last Friday. Let me tell you, seeing the happiness on Ken’s face and how excited everyone was, it really made me proud to have secured them $300,000 in federal funding at the last election to fit out and equip their new facility. As well as a $20,000 Stronger Communities grant they used to purchase new kitchen equipment.

I also have to commend Brisbane City Council and my colleague Councillor Ryan Murphy for making the site available for lease to the Meals on Wheels.

These are significant investments from government. But compare it to everything the local community’s put toward getting the new Meals on Wheels facility up and running. Since 1995, they’ve fundraised tirelessly to make their new and improved home a reality. Together they’ve raised $2.8 million. What an achievement!

In Ken’s words, it’s been a very hard, dogged slug for this length of time. The hard work and perseverance from everyone involved has been such an inspiration. And I’m glad to say the benefits will flow on to the whole community.

The centre’s state-of-the-art commercial kitchen will allow the Meals on Wheels volunteers to cook, prepare and deliver more hot meals to more homes in the community. That means more people that will receive help to stay independent and remain in their own homes for longer. The fully-equipped kitchen will also ensure the Meals on Wheels can prepare meals to their usual high standards.

But that’s not all. The centre will also have many other features that local groups will be able to use for seminars, public meetings, training workshops, and other community events and activities.

There’ll be a community meeting room available for hire that can hold up to 150 people. Training spaces will be available, as well as a board room with a complete audio visual fit out, volunteer facilities, a veranda café, and a separate community kitchen.

Sporting spaces will also be available to sports groups in the area. Brisbane City Council is planning to build netball courts behind the new facility. These will be complemented by a canteen, dressing room and toilets underneath the new facility.

I’m so proud to be part of this government that recognises the importance of investing in vital community infrastructure projects like this. The new Meals on Wheels centre will help those in the community who need it most. It’s brought the community together, and when it’s completed it will serve to strengthen community ties. And it will also provide a boost to the local economy by creating dozens of construction jobs.

I can’t wait to see the completed kitchen and community centre and join everyone on opening day. I have to thank Ken and the rest of the Meals on Wheels volunteers, and everyone who donated to this worthy project, for their unwavering dedication. Thanks to your efforts the bayside community will benefit from this fantastic facility for years to come.

I rise to speak on the motion moved by the Member for Forde. And what a good motion it is—more good news for our economy and more jobs created under the Coalition government’s strong economic management. Since coming to government in 2013 we’ve created a million jobs and counting. Now with economic growth and jobs growth exceeding expectations, while this continues we can expect a lift in wages growth, in the words of the RBA Governor.

Jobs and wage growth are my constituents’ number one concern. What are we doing to create more jobs, they ask. Those who are putting in the hours at work, they’re still struggling to meet rising power prices and cost of living. So I’m pleased to tell them under the Coalition, unemployment is at its lowest rate since 2012. Last year we created over 400,000 jobs. Three quarters of these were full time jobs.

Compare that to the previous Labor government. They averaged less than 150,000 new jobs each year. And when they left office, unemployment was going up—they were losing full time jobs!

In my electorate the effects of our booming economy have been clear. I have to thank the Member for Forde for one project that has been a boon for local jobs. He started the fight for funding to upgrade the M1. It was great to work with him and my Queensland colleagues to secure $1 billion for these vital upgrades. Not only will these upgrades reduce peak hour congestion, getting people to work sooner and safer, they will also support up to 450 local jobs. A double win for the local economy!

Another jobs-generating, congestion-busting project that’s now underway in my electorate is the upgrade of the Green Camp Corridor. I’ve enjoyed seeing construction start on this much-needed project. And then there’s the $300 million Brisbane Metro project, which is now in the expression of interest phase. Another example of this government’s commitment to invest in vital infrastructure while creating local jobs.

There are many more small-scale projects in my electorate this government has invested in that will provide a boost for the local economy and local employment. I’m seeing the benefits firsthand and I fully support this motion and this government’s commitment to strong economic growth.

It was great to be able to attend the official opening of St Agnes Catholic Primary School’s new sports courts last week. Just two years ago I was over at Mt Gravatt announcing $211,000 to go towards the construction of three new multi-use courts at the school. How time flies!

The courts will be used for after school and weekend tennis, netball, basketball and volleyball programmes. It’s not just the students and teachers of St Agnes who’ll benefit from these courts. Local families and sports groups will also be able to use them. The local community will be able to use the courts through programs conducted by Southside Tennis and St Agnes Netball Club. They will collaborate with groups such as TAG5, Cerebral Palsy League, Sporting Wheelies and Disables Association, and Indigenous groups to conduct specially targeted sports programs for juniors, Indigenous, seniors, families, and disabled people.

Thanks to this Government’s investment, more children and families in the Mt Gravatt community will have better and more affordable access to recreational activities, helping them to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. Overall we expect there’ll be around 1000 different users of these courts each year. It’s all part of our commitment to invest in local communities to ensure everyone has access to place where they can exercise and enjoy sport.

In addition to providing fantastic new sports facilities that the school and the wider community will be able to use for years to come, I’m also pleased to report this project benefitted the local economy, supporting give jobs during construction.

I have some very special guests in the chamber tonight. Laura Lewis and Deborah Oxtoby are two incredible advocates for people with autism in our community. Hi Laura! Hi Deb! They flew down from Brisbane to be here tonight. I hope this speech can do justice to your amazing work and the difference you’re making in so many people’s lives.

This year Laura and Deb started a social group for children with autism. The What’s Your Superpower group meets every Friday night at Waterloo Bay Leisure Centre. In just one month, they grew to over 100 members. They’re growing faster by the day! When you hear their members’ stories and how much the group has helped them, it’s easy to see why.

I first met Laura at one of my weekend mobile offices. The thing that strikes you most when you talk to her is just how passionate she is about the work she’s doing.

Laura’s oldest son Clay has autism spectrum disorder. She recently shared a beautiful piece she wrote on her blog about the struggles she’s been through since Clay’s diagnosis. I’d read the whole thing here if I had enough time! It’s called “To feel like you belong” and I encourage everyone listening to give it a read.

About What’s Your Superpower, Laura says: “I met my peers and we could just look at each other and understand.” What a touching line that says everything about this wonderful group. It’s not just about giving children the chance to hang out with others like them. It’s not just about giving their families a space to socialise without being judged.

It’s about helping others understand—really understand—that people with autism aren’t so different. Deb told me the group breaks down barriers and encourages acceptance. That’s why I’m so happy to be here tonight speaking on their behalf and getting their good word out.

Laura’s son Clay is a great example of people with autism overcoming barriers. After he struggled to find part-time work after school, Clay started his own bin-cleaning business. It’s been a roaring success! He’s in great demand in the bayside area. The glowing reviews on the Clay Needs No Moulding Facebook page all point to what a professional, hard-working young man he is.

I’m pleased to say the tight-knit bayside community has thrown their support behind What’s Your Superpower. Deb tells me after Clay’s story ran in the local paper, some local businesses approached their group asking what they could do to help. It really highlights the importance of what this group is doing.

Laura and Deb started What’s Your Superpower to give kids with autism and their families a place to have fun and be themselves on Friday nights. Now they’re looking to inspire others across Australia to start their own groups.

What’s Your Superpower has helped reduce social isolation for these children. It’s raised awareness in the community. It’s brought local businesses and local representatives like me in to bat for them. If you’re in the Brisbane area, you’re welcome to join them. Or if you can start your own group with other like-minded parents, you can also spread the conversation and advocate for greater support for people with autism.

The Government is also doing its part with two very important announcements on the weekend. We’ve announced the new Autism Advisory Group made up of autism experts, service providers and people with autism. This group will advise the National Disability Insurance Agency on autism and how to deliver the best outcomes for people with autism. We’ve also announced $7.8 million in funding to ensure six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres stay open until 2020 and continue providing intensive support to children with autism.

Thanks Laura and thank you Deb for being here tonight. There are great things ahead for What’s Your Superpower and I look forward to seeing the group and its members thrive.

Last month we had DonateLife Week. I hope everyone had a chance to have that very difficult but necessary chat with their loved ones.

That week I met an extraordinary young man from my electorate. Lachlan Wallis knows more than anyone how important it is to register as an organ and tissue donor.

Lachlan was born with a disease of the liver meaning he’d always need a transplant. His condition worsened to the point his father David was preparing to donate part of his liver to keep him alive. But, thankfully, a donor was found. Lachlan underwent a liver transplant at eight years old.

Thanks to the efforts of a complete stranger and their family who chose to give the gift of life, Lachlan survived. Now he’s in his last year at Iona College. He’s a tall guy—taller than me! He plays rugby and cricket at school. Looking at him, you’d never guess he was so sick as a kid.

That’s what takes other sick kids and their parents by surprise when Lachlan visits them in hospital. You see, Lachlan organises hospital visits in his spare time, where he helps young patients going through the same thing he did. He tells me when these kids and their families see him, sometimes just after cricket practice when he’s still in his gear, it shows them they really can get better.

Lachlan’s parents also come along on these visits. They chat with patients’ families, sharing what they went through to help other parents. What an amazing family.

I wanted to thank Lachlan for all the great work he’s done in the community. I heard he wanted to follow his grandfather’s footsteps and become a police officer. So I invited him and David to meet local officers at Wynnum Police Station as part of DonateLife Week.

It was a great morning and I was so pleased to meet this inspiring young man. Lachlan says it’s so important to have a chat with your loved ones about your wishes—to join the Australian Organ Donor Register and let your family know what you’ve done. DonateLife Week is over but it’s never too late to sign up to be a donor. You could save a life.

The winter break was a great time to catch up with local companies that are going above and beyond in Bonner. One of these is the Port of Brisbane Company. Just recently Port of Brisbane recognised outstanding local organisations for their work in the community through a range of grants. They’ve also been working on a pilot project with the goal of improving safety across the entire road freight industry in Australia.

The Port of Brisbane’s annual Community Grants program is a fantastic initiative. These grants are awarded to local and not-for-profit organisations for innovative projects that benefit the wider community.

I want to thank Port of Brisbane CEO Roy Cummins for inviting me to their recent awards ceremony. It was an incredible event bringing together an incredible group of people. Together these people are making such a difference in our community and it was great to meet them and hear about their work.

Quite a few of them were familiar faces and I wasn’t surprised their organisations were awarded grants. One of them was Nyree Mannion. Nyree started the Make it Home Safely initiative three years ago to educate young people about safe driving. Their Port of Brisbane grant will go toward a new car to support Make it Home’s Learn to Drive program.

Port of Brisbane is also working with the Queensland Trucking Association on another project to improve road safety. Their Heavy Vehicle Safety Around Ports project has just received federal funding through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. The government is proud to support this program that will boost safety in and around the Port of Brisbane and other ports across Australia.

Today I want to speak about a remarkable figure in the bayside community. Senior Sergeant Tony Brown recently marked 30 years as a police officer. It’s a rare feat in his line of work.

I have to say Tony’s done a terrific job while he’s been acting officer-in-charge at Wynnum Police Station. Earlier this year, he came out to one of my crime mobile offices to reassure residents in Gumdale and Wakerley about local crime and police presence in the area.

The last 30 years have gone by just like that, Tony told me the other day. He’s worked all around south-east Queensland: out in the country as a rural constable, down at the Gold Coast, and in his home town of Wynnum.

Tony’s spent a lot of his career as a detective investigating crime. One of his proudest achievements was putting a lot of time into a homicide at Wishart and eventually securing a conviction. He takes pride in being out in the public eye and reassuring people that things are safe. And thankfully, crime has remained relatively low around the bayside—the biggest challenges he sees in the future are more people and more development in the area, bringing more traffic issues and more demand for services.

Tony you’ve had an outstanding career and you should be proud of everything you’ve achieved. Thank you for all you’ve done for the bayside community. There are great things ahead in your future and I wish you the best.

Last week I had a big turnout at my roundtable on Labor’s Retirees and Pensioners Tax. It goes to show just how worried the community is about Labor’s shameless retiree tax grab.

Thanks to the Assistant Minister to the Treasurer for coming out to Bonner to hear my constituents’ concerns. Many people had horror stories about what Labor’s policy will mean for them.

Betty, a self-funded retiree from Wynnum, told me it would affect her portfolio greatly—potentially forcing her to dip into her capital.

Denis from Wakerley told the room that in terms of his own super fund, he stands to lose 20 per cent of his income if Labor gets their proposal through.

I didn’t invite along millionaires to this session; they weren’t the ‘top end of town’, as Labor would have you believe they’re targeting with this tax. These are ordinary people, just like you and me, who’ve tried to be self-reliant. Now Labor wants to take 20 or 30 per cent of their income to fund their unsustainable spending!

Almost a million retirees and pensioners will be immediately affected. Dave from Mansfield also made a great point. He was a third generation Labor voter until they announced this reckless new policy. Now he’s worried about his niece’s and nephew’s and other younger people’s ability to generate a decent income for their future.

I invite my constituents who’d like to share their own story about the terrible impact of Labor’s Retirees and Pensioners Tax to contact me.