Page 1866 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 4 May 2011

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I will reflect on one volunteer program I did not have time to reflect on before. I noted earlier the agreement the SES volunteers have, but I did not have time to read that agreement, which is of interest. Up to four days for each emergency is granted to an employee who is a member of a state or territory emergency service, firefighting service, search and rescue unit or other volunteer service performing similar functions to fulfil an obligation in the event of a civil emergency. Additional paid leave may be approved by the chief executive for any volunteer duty required to be performed by an employee who is a member of a state or territory emergency service.

According to the 2009-10 JACS annual report—I am sure every member in this place has read the report and is aware of these figures—795 ACT FB CFU volunteers volunteered during that period, and the community fire units are another one of my volunteer activities. There were 480 ACT RFS who volunteered during that time, 228 ACT SES volunteers and 74 MAPS, or mapping and planning support, volunteers were engaged in emergency services.

Again, I dwell on the volunteering policing program, which is a program Volunteering ACT assisted in developing and implementing when I was the CEO. The AFP volunteers and policing program has 41 police volunteers at the moment—23 females and 18 males—who come from a wide range of backgrounds. The age range is from 37 to 80 years of age. Their roles include role playing for recruits, assistance with administration, front-line office support, ceremonial support, bus driving, justice of peace duties, letterbox drops and poster distribution—sounds like some of us when we are doing our campaigning—keyhole surveys, meet-and-greet roles, assistance with consensual fingerprinting, catering and conference support, support for the Chequered Ribbon Association and assistance to police in community events. That is a wide of range of voluntary activities that the volunteer police carry out, and it is a great example of the variety of volunteering that people can choose within one organisation.

Again, I thank members for their contributions. I am encouraged by the Assembly’s support of this motion.

Motion agreed to.

Adjournment

Motion (by Ms Burch) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mrs Austra Skuja

Japan earthquake and tsunami

MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.48): I rise to put on the record a very special achievement by a Canberra resident on 16 April, that person being Mrs Austra Skuja, who turned 100. I had the pleasure of going to her birthday celebration at the Canberra National Seventh-Day Adventist Church on 16 April, and it was a lovely occasion. It was a


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