Page 576 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 30 March 2021

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service personnel who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and epitomise the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”. These awards are nominated by the ACT community and reflect the viewpoint of our local community and what they view as outstanding service from our emergency services personnel. The awards take into account a person’s commitment to the community, not only in their role but also in how actively they contribute to their community in their own time. Members from all ESA’s operational services, as well as enabling services, are eligible to be nominated for the awards. This year will be the third time the Rotary clubs of the ACT have hosted the Canberra-focused event to celebrate our emergency services personnel. Winners from the ACT Rotary awards are invited to attend the national Australian emergency awards.

I am pleased to inform the Assembly that one of our very own ACT ambulance intensive care paramedics, Susith Adikari, was recognised as the winner in the paid capacity category at last year’s national awards. Susith is an intensive care paramedic and has dedicated 13 years to emergency services for both domestic and international causes, most notably the British Columbia bushfires in Canada in 2017 and the recent 2020 Black Summer fires. Along with his duty as a primary responder with the ACT Ambulance Service, Susith is passionate about disseminating the wealth of knowledge and experience that he has acquired over the years to help develop the next crop of graduate paramedics here in the ACT.

At the local ACT awards last year, Ian Morey was recognised as the winner in the volunteer capacity. Ian is a veteran firefighter with the Rivers Volunteer Bushfire Brigade and has served the community over the past two decades, in addition to his day job with the Australian public service. With nominations open for this year’s awards, I look forward to seeing the range of talented personnel in our emergency services who will be recognised for their outstanding achievements and service to the community.

Once again, I congratulate Rotary on its centenary in Australia and New Zealand and ask members to take note of the great work Rotary clubs are doing to support emergency services in the ACT. I present a copy of the statement:

100 Years of Rotary—Ministerial Statement, 30 March 2021.

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the paper.

MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (11.32): I thank you, Minister, for bringing this before the Assembly today. I acknowledge our district governor, Michael Moore, returning in a different role here today. Welcome back.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Rotary, the world’s first service club, was formed. This year Rotary celebrates 100 years of service. When first envisaged, Rotary was a novel but simple idea: professionals with diverse backgrounds could get together, regularly exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.


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