MOTION: INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:55): I, too, rise to support the amended motion and to give recognition that 5 December is International Volunteer Day. It is a big shout-out to all volunteers from all walks of life, whether in metro Adelaide, regional South Australia or anywhere on the globe. Volunteers are the fabric of any community. Whether in a metro town or a regional community, I think it would be fair to say that they are equally valued for the time, care and activity that they create around their dedication to the job.

Obviously, people who volunteer are passionate. They are dedicated to contributing to make the community they live in a better place. It gives me great honour as a representative of Chaffey that I have many volunteer organisations that continue to make all our regions a better place to live, work and play sport and a safer place to live.

I cannot understate the importance of our emergency services and their volunteers. Obviously, there are a number of stations right around my electorate. Volunteers are called on many thousands of times a year to be first responders and make sure that they play their role in helping save lives and helping people navigate their way through some level of uncertainty.

Of course, our sporting organisations are also very important. They are the fabric of communities, particularly in the regions of South Australia. In Chaffey, there is no more important fabric of the community than sporting organisations. Volunteers give their time as coaches, admin, canteen, gatekeepers and bus drivers. Even motorsport clubs, of which there are many and varied up in Chaffey, do an outstanding job, and so I say thank you to them all.

Time is against me, but I want to have a big shout-out to all our volunteers. Some organisations have an ageing volunteer base. This is a big call-out to our young, up-and-coming, aspiring volunteers who want to play a role in making their community a better place by contributing to a sporting club or an organisation. Please, if you are considering volunteering, put your hand up, help out and make sure that your community is a better place for your service. I commend the amended motion to the house.

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