The following statement was read into the Parliament by the Member for Geraldton, Ian Blayney MLA today.
Thank you Mr Blayney for taking the time to acknowledge the extraordinary work of so many extraordinary people who leave their homes and families to protect those of others.
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK — GERALDTON
Statement by Member for Geraldton
MR I. BLAYNEY (Geraldton):
Over 2 300 years ago, Greek philosopher Aristotle asked, “What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.” This week, we recognise the inspiring, essential, and important role our volunteers play in serving others and doing good across Australia as part of National Volunteer Week 2020.
Volunteering comes in many forms. Some volunteers are highly visible, like our emergency service organisations St John Ambulance, volunteer fire and rescue services, bush fire brigades and volunteer marine rescue groups. We thank you for your efforts in keeping our communities safe, particularly our regional communities, which often do not have paid ambulance officers or firefighters, and must rely on our dedicated volunteers to step up and defend our communities in times of crisis. I spent 25 years volunteering with my local bush fire brigade, and I give my thanks to the almost 300 emergency services volunteers who serve and support the electorate of Geraldton. Other volunteers work quietly behind the scenes. They serve on school P&C committees, volunteer for our sporting associations, help organise regional events and agricultural shows, promote the arts and culture and provide important services for our communities through programs like Foodbank and meals on wheels.
To all our volunteers, on behalf of the Nationals WA and the regional towns and cities we represent, I wish to say a big thank you to all of you for what you do.
