Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (21:21): Mr Assistant Speaker, I thank you for welcoming my guests, friends from Ingleburn Rotary and the Ingleburn Business Chamber, who are in Parliament as part of the annual dinner that I host with great community members. Each year I have the opportunity and the privilege of recognising two individuals in my electorate for their exemplary community service. My community is full of hardworking and committed volunteers who give up their precious time to help others in and around our community and beyond. Having now served as a local member for 12 years, I am often humbled by the generosity of people in our local area, demonstrating extraordinary acts of kindness, selfless deeds and contributions beyond measure.
This year I am honoured to recognise two extraordinary individuals who are advocates and strong community leaders, engaging with the younger generation and working to improve the lives of many others. I am extremely fortunate to call them my dear friends. Jan Nicoll is one such person. Jan is more than a community volunteer. A proud Māori woman, Jan is everyone's nan or aunty. Much loved in the Macquarie Fields community and beyond, Jan is a tireless volunteer who has dedicated all her life to helping others. Someone once described Jan as a community shaker, and that term sums her up perfectly. She is known for being tenacious in her community advocacy, which is another reason she is so highly regarded.
Over the years, Jan has volunteered with Macquarie Fields public schools, Guise Public School and Curran Public School, as well as James Meehan High School. She also assists with various agencies in Macquarie Fields, including Youth Off The Streets and the Riley Centre for Youth and Learning. In fact, Jan was the driving force behind establishing a permanent Youth Off The Streets centre in Macquarie Fields, working closely with the late Father Chris Riley. In 2006 Father Chris Riley presented Jan with a Circle of Courage Award, honouring her commitment to supporting young people in our local area. Another of Jan's passions is the Adventist Development and Relief Agency [ADRA] Community Centre in Macquarie Fields—or Mallee Rose Cottage, as it is fondly known. It is a local support hub that offers emergency relief, counselling and community programs. Jan has dedicated countless hours to ADRA, as well as the Macquarie Fields Salvation Army, earning her the respect of many in our community.
Jan's tireless work has been recognised through many awards, including Campbelltown City Council's Australia Day Citizen of the Year 2012, the ADRA Champion of Macquarie Fields 2016, the NSW Volunteer of the Year 2016 and the NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Award 2018. Jan is an incredibly humble person and does not crave the spotlight. In fact, her humility and quiet determination to serve our community is what makes her so special and so loved. Jan has often demonstrated personal courage and resilience in giving back to our community. I once asked Jan what motivates her, and her answer was, very simply, "I believe we do what we can, because we can and while we can." Hear, hear to that. Jan is a worthy recipient of the 2026 Community Service Award.
As I mentioned earlier, I also take this opportunity to recognise another strong volunteer and well-known person who is present in the gallery, Barry Woolfe of Macquarie Fields. Barry has contributed extensively to our community through various organisations. An active member of the Ingleburn Rotary Club for more than 35 years, Barry served as club president three times and on the club board for 30 years. For the past 12 years Barry has been director of club youth programs, promoting students and young adults into Rotary leadership programs. Barry formed and continues to support Interact clubs at Sarah Redfern High School and Hurlstone Agricultural High School. His work with Rotary has earned him two Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Awards.
Barry was a committee member and board director of Myrtle Cottage for 19 years. He also served on the committee for the Ingleburn Alive festival. In 2025 Barry helped form the Macquarie Fields Probus Club. An exemplary community member, Barry is passionate about nurturing a new generation of community service leaders and volunteers. Jan and Barry are certainly worthy award recipients. Their immense contributions will be felt long into the future, with the seeds of the selfless acts they plant today growing into the trees of tomorrow. Jan and Barry will continue to shape and support our community in many ways.
We take great pride in people like Jan and Barry within our community, and being able to represent people like them and many others in the gallery and the community is what I take greatest delight in. Representing my community and ensuring we deliver on the investment in services that it needs to get its fair share is what being a good local member is all about. First and foremost among the titles I hold is that of member for Macquarie Fields. I am proud of the record that I have achieved with the support of my community members, and I look forward to their support at the next election.
