LIBBY COKER, MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE: Hello everyone, thank you for coming today. We have Trevor Hume, our President. So, thank you Trevor for being with us today. And Sarah Martin, who’s here. So, Sarah actually was the former Vice President of the netball club and has played a really strong role in making this happen today. And then also I would like to acknowledge David Walder, a Former President who’s not here today. He's had a significant role in making this happen too. And Peter is here as well. Thank you so much all for being here. So today our commitment is to, I would really love to announce together, an election commitment on behalf of the Albanese Labor Federal Government, $5.45 million. I’m so thrilled, and what it will mean is that the club has two new netball courts, which will be compliant because for so long this club has not been able to play the finals and we want you to play finals because it's great for really the credibility of this club and it brings the town together and it attracts people here and it gives you pride in your club. So, it's going to be brilliant that these courts will be upgraded. We're also going to put new netball clubrooms in and if you look behind you now, I don't have to tell all of the members here today how much you do need this. It’s going to be a fantastic investment in this club and in this community. There is also going to be new spectator seating and lighting. So, I would like to congratulate everybody who's made this possible. It is going to make a huge difference to you. I want to thank the club in particular for its enduring advocacy on this issue. I have spent a number of years working with this club to get this outcome, so I'm very proud to stand with you today and announce this. I would like to hand over to Anthony if you’d like to say a few words.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks very much, Libby, and congratulations to everyone at this fantastic club. You’ve got a great local member here and a great advocate for this community. It’s a beautiful place to live, I’ve got to say, so I’m a bit jelly of this community. I first came here many, many years ago in the early 1980s into this part of the world and it's just the stunning local backdrop. But most importantly as well, of course you can have a great natural environment, but it's the people who make a place great and people who make a community are the sort of people who volunteer at a club like this with the incredible history that you've got going back to 1879, which is quite extraordinary. Since then, there would have been generations of people who have been coaches, been volunteers, done the sausage sizzle, done all of that to raise the $2 raffles. So, what this is, is the Commonwealth Government are pitching in to support you just as you supported your community. Communities like this, need facilities like this. They bring the sense of pride. I can't imagine if you've made the finals. You want to play a home game. If you've finished in the appropriate order and this will ensure that that can occur. So, both netball and football will benefit from this investment. The sheds upgrade will bring it up to scratch.

One of the things that we're seeing right around Australia is more women's team sports, in areas like football. When I was a kid playing footy, the idea that there'd be women playing top-level football was something that wasn't thought of. Now it is just part of the action that takes place. And that is fantastic thing for equality. So, whether it’s playing netball or playing football, the benefit of these youngsters here playing team sport, I think is so important. A bit of an issue that you might have heard of on social media with our approach, which is we want young people to get off their devices onto the netball courts, onto the footy fields, onto the courts, engaging with each other as well. And nothing beats that like team sports. Because team sports teaches you to win. It teaches you to lose. It teaches you resilience. It teaches you social skills as well, it’s so important. You recognise the team can have the best player. They won't win unless they're the best team. Unless they're working for each other as well, and that is so important. So, congratulations to everyone involved. I look forward to coming back here during the next term and seeing the new courts, having a look at the new sheds here that will be so important for the local community. Well, done to everyone and well done to Libby for her relentless advocacy. Whether it be the roads for Barwon Heads or whether it be other infrastructure projects, the Urgent Care Clinic that's coming to Torquay. All this investment is as a result of Libby Coker’s advocacy. She's very passionate as a former Mayor of this area, which was when I first met Libby all those years ago, before she was a candidate for Parliament. But she's a good friend. She's a great advocate and she's such a strong representative for this community, so well done.

COKER: I would just like to invite Trevor to say a few words.

TREVOR BLOOM, PRESIDENT: Just to respond on the club’s behalf, it’s truly an exciting time for the club and thank you to Libby for helping us to continue to drive dialogue around improvement of our facilities for our community. It's been a long battle, as you pointed out, but this is certainly a great step forward for people to be able to come and utilise it. You can clearly hear in the background it gets used by more than just a club and thank you to your Government, Anthony, in terms of investing in our area and our community we really appreciate it. And to the hard work of those people that have been mentioned and all those who haven’t been. Our footy club’s very, very fortunate in the fact that we’ve got some tremendous people to help us out. Thank you very much.

COKER: And now I think we better do a big shout, on the count of three - go Hawks. One, two, three – go Hawks.

ENDS