HANSARD EXTRACT
| Statements by
Members: Wests Sports Council Annual Presentation |
| 31 May 2006 |
Mr HAYES
(Werriwa)
(9.56
a.m.)—Last
Saturday night I had the opportunity to attend the Wests Sports
Council award night. It is a great opportunity not only to recognise
some of the good sports in our area and some of our champions but
also to pay tribute to the people who keep our junior sports going
over the year. The night was also an opportunity for me to recognise
the people who are so essential to the success of local sport and
who often go unrecognised. I had the opportunity to present the
Australian sports achievement awards in recognition of the
continuation of support and dedicated commitment by a number of
people.
Firstly, I recognised and presented awards to John Brown, who is
President of the Macquarie Fields Swimming Club and who has been
attached to that club now for over 32 years, and to Miss Lyn Deveney,
secretary, who, similarly, has been associated with the Macquarie
Fields Swimming Club for over 30 years and is also Secretary of the
Wests Sports Council. Other recipients included Alan Connolly from
the Camden and Campbelltown District Cricket Club, locally known as
the Ghosts, who has been the driving force in leading a campaign to
develop the Raby cricket fields as a premier cricket facility in our
region, and Ann Nicholson, from the Macarthur Triathlon Club, who
has always been available to assist not only in training but in
event management.
Ann
has been associated with her club in ensuring that they have been
able to compete so regularly over the last 10 years. I will not
embarrass Shirley Conolly, another recipient, by saying how long she
has been associated with the Netball Association of Campbelltown,
but suffice it to say that Shirley is regarded as being synonymous
both with Campbelltown and with netball. As a matter of fact, when
my daughter grew up it was through the efforts of Shirley that my
daughter began playing netball in the local district. I also
presented an award to the Wests Leagues Club for their continued
support for junior sport. Roy Warby, the chairman of the board,
accepted the award on behalf of the club. I should point out that
the Wests Leagues Club commits in excess of $1 million annually to
sport in our local area. In addition to that, $34,000 was committed
to over 140 recipients so that they could compete in state national
and international events.
Without the dedication and support shown to the youth in our area by
these people, we would not have the opportunities that we currently
enjoy. Our community certainly owes them a great debt of gratitude.
We celebrate our champions but it is this small group that keeps our
people out there competing and gives the youth their opportunities.
(Time expired)
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