I recently had the pleasure of presenting Joseph Kim from Westleigh with a State Representative Award in recognition of his achievement representing New South Wales at the 2024 School Sport Australia Swimming Championship. At 17 years of age, Joseph was part of the relay team that broke the 200-metre freestyle record at the recent CAS Swimming and Diving Championships.

I congratulate Helen Campbell on receiving a Pride of Workmanship award from the Rotary Club of Wahroonga. The award was given to Helen to recognise her personal commitment to her vocation.

Last week, more than 20,000 morning teas were held across the country, raising more than $6.5 million for the Cancer Council as part of Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. One of the most inspirational of those was the extraordinary effort of Amelia R, a year 6 student from class 6A at Thornleigh West Public School.

Despite imposing significant planning changes on the Wahroonga electorate and surrounding suburbs without community consultation or consideration, the Minns Labor Government refuses to invest in important local infrastructure. Worse still, the Minns Labor Government has tried to recover infrastructure funding that was already promised to the electorate by the former Coalition Government.

Debra Hargreaves was presented with the Health Services Award at the Rotary Club of Wahroonga awards night. The award recognises excellence in vocational service in the field of health services and is given to individuals who display pride of workmanship and personal commitment in their vocation.

The Wahroonga electorate continues to grow, and that comes as no surprise given that it has a fantastic community and is a great place to live, work and raise a family. With its strong sense of community, excellent schools and beautiful natural environment, surrounded by several national parks, our community continues to grow.

Today is the eightieth anniversary of the victory in Europe, ending that theatre of battle in the Second World War. On this day 80 years ago, my father was a 19‑year‑old, but not in Europe where he grew up and where he had been in the Dutch resistance.

I congratulate Laura George from the Road Less Taken on receiving a 2025 Small Business Award from the Rotary Club of Wahroonga. Situated only a few doors up from my electorate office in the Wahroonga village, Road Less Taken is a family-owned company which has been a vital part of Wahroonga village for several years.

One of the excellent schools in the Wahroonga electorate, Pennant Hills Public School, recently celebrated its centenary. I had the pleasure of joining the students, staff, parents and ex-students at an assembly to celebrate 100 years of academic growth and success.

Recently, I was once again delighted to attend the annual Art North Exhibition at the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery at Abbotsleigh. This year, the gallery showcased artworks from the 2024 year 12 visual arts students across the Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby district.

I commend the Sydney Adventist Hospital in Wahroonga, the San, for its incredible work and for being ranked the highest for outpatient cancer services.

We are incredibly fortunate in the Wahroonga electorate to have an abundance of incredible women who contribute so much to our community. Their dedication and passion enrich the lives of those around them, making our local area a better place to live, work and raise a family.

I wish everyone a happy Lunar New Year as we celebrate the Year of the Snake.

The core philosophy of St Edmund's College in Wahroonga focuses on meeting the individual needs of each student and helping them to develop the skills they need to take their rightful place in society.

Last week, I attended the Hornsby RSL Sub‑Branch Remembrance Day ceremony, where we reflected on the lives lost during the First World War and in all the wars since.

We are coming up to bushfire season, and it is more important than ever to ensure that our communities are ready for any bushfires this summer.

Sadly, cancer affects all of us in some way. Whether it is a family member or friend who has been diagnosed, we all know someone who has been affected by cancer.

The Pennant Hills Trefoil Guild has been proudly serving the Wahroonga electorate for almost 30 years. I add some comments to the brief contribution I made last week about the guild.

The Wahroonga electorate has one of the highest numbers of volunteers in the whole State. That statistic does not surprise me, given the large number of incredible volunteer organisations in the Wahroonga electorate.

The Wahroonga electorate has many excellent girls' schools, including Abbotsleigh Junior School, which recently celebrated its seventieth birthday. Abbotsleigh has been educating girls since 1885, when Miss Marian Clarke opened the school in a terrace house in North Sydney.

The learners of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Quite often our young adults' interests and engagement with society will influence their success in future occupations and academic achievements.

Recently I was happy to attend Waitara Public School's annual Exhibition of Learning, where students displayed the culmination of projects from throughout the term.

It was my pleasure recently to attend the Turramurra High School Leadership Investiture Ceremony as we farewelled the outgoing student leadership team and welcomed the new team for 2024-25.

The Wahroonga Tigers Rugby Club was founded in 1962 and boasts players like David Campese amongst its alumni. For more than 60 years, the Wahroonga Tigers Rugby Club has provided people of all ages the opportunity to get involved in the great game of rugby union.