Page 3494 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019

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It really warmed my heart to see so many members of the community embracing this initiative. I am looking forward to holding another rubbish sizzle sometime in the near future, perhaps to usher in summer. Here’s hoping that it is even trickier to find rubbish next time.

Official Visitor Amendment Bill 2019

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (4.15): I make a quick interruption of the adjournment debate. During the previous debate on the Official Visitors Amendment Bill I had intended to present a revised explanatory statement. I forgot to do that, so I now present the revised explanatory statement.

Adjournment

Sport—Tuggeranong Bushrangers

MR PARTON (Brindabella) (4.15): I rise to pay tribute to the Tuggeranong Bushrangers under 19s in the local rugby league, who won a thrilling division 2 grand final at Jamison enclosed oval on Sunday. They were awesome. The Bushies have been around in the valley since the early 2000s and they fight hard for everything that they get. I think they really personify the Tuggeranong spirit. In recent years, particularly in the season just gone, one of their biggest struggles has been access to grounds for training and playing. I know it is something that my colleague Mr Milligan has been looking into and intends to make headway on.

This year they turned out teams in first grade, reserves, the under 19s and the league tag women’s comp. They are a hardworking, close-knit club and it was wonderful to see them have success in a grand final on Sunday. They came up against the North Canberra Bears. I have to tell you, Madam Deputy Speaker, that I was extremely worried when the game started because the Bushies were very clearly up against a team of bigger boys who really had turned up to play.

So many of these baby Bushrangers were in the lower end of the age group and it showed dramatically. When little Mitchell Rhodes got over the try line early on in the first half, to me it seemed like a try against the tide. But they defended so well. They went to the sheds with a narrow lead at half-time. The sun was shining; the beer was cold; it was a good day.

The game opened up in the second half. The Bears found the lead and really looked the likely winners, but these boys from Tuggeranong just were not having it. They stood up when it counted. They managed to tie up the scores in the shadow of full time. We saw a second try to Mitchell Rhodes and another to Julian Hayward-Whiley. Then Jackson Owen, who had missed some conversions from, it must be said, way out wide, showed a cool head to kick a field goal to break the deadlock before slotting another penalty soon after to seal the deal.

Well done to coaches Mick Broafey and Darren Dodds and all those on the committee. I have to mention Nathan Peck, the captain of the under 19 Bushrangers, who led the team so well. He led them to a grand final victory, but he is one of those young men—


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