Mitchell Electorate Community Awards

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:37): I rise today to continue my remarks about my community recognition awards. The fourth award winner is Neela Sivakumaran. Neela came to Australia in 2009 as a refugee. She is a young leader, mentor and well-respected member of the Tamil community in South Australia. She attended Seaview High School and excelled in her studies. She was accepted into Flinders University to study medical science.

Over the past five years, she has worked voluntarily for the Ceylon Tamil Association, sacrificing her weekends to help the community however she can. Some of her work includes teaching English, providing translating services, writing their newsletter, being a mentor to the youth group and providing English language services for the day-to-day issues associated with finding your way in a new country, such as negotiating rent agreements, getting medical assistance and paying your general household bills.

Neela gives back to the community at every opportunity and is a wonderful young leader and role model to those around her. She has led an extraordinary life for a young person, and what she is doing to help her community is absolutely outstanding. It is great to recognise her on this occasion. I would also like to acknowledge community member, Heather Watt, who nominated Neela. Heather responded to the application in my newsletter, and she felt that Neela was so worthy she put in the application which was received and greatly appreciated.

The fifth and final community award winner is Marie Sheridan. Marie is a very talented local artist in our area. She exhibits a variety of works and mediums at the Marion Cultural Centre on a regular basis. She shares her knowledge and skills at the Cooinda Neighbourhood Centre where she teaches china painting, and at the Porcelain Art Centre in Norwood.

I recently went to the Cooinda Neighbourhood Centre to see Marie in action. It was outstanding to see her wonderful work and the way she worked so calmly and cohesively with members of the community as she taught them the very intricate method of porcelain art painting. It was admirable to see the way she worked with her students, and the way in which they respected and appreciated the wonderful energy she gave them, and the teachings that she passed on with her incredible skills.

Marie is President of the Australasian Porcelain Art Teachers association (APAT). She is also an awesome, caring and loving grandmother to three grandkids. She often collects her two younger grandchildren after school and looks after them until their parents get home. Marie is another great member of our community who is doing wonderful things to help others, and she does it in such a special way, without any fuss or recognition. Having seen her in action, it is a real credit to her and a great acquisition to our community to have Marie doing the work she does. I would like to thank her again, as the fifth recipient of the community awards we held a few weeks ago.

Finally, I would also like to thank my staff, who did a marvellous job helping pull the night together. I mentioned my family, but my staff were outstanding—in particular, Emma Andrew and Allison Mildren. As I previously mentioned, it was held at Patritti Wines, and I thank them and their team for doing a wonderful job as well. It turned out to be the very last day on the job in my office for my trainee, Jasmine Pollock, and I would like to recognise her work.

Jasmine was with us for about 12 months and she was outstanding. She graduated from Hallett Cove School R-12 a few years ago, and she joined our team. Jasmine came in inquisitive from day one, questioning and with a keen interest to learn about our community, and about working in administration in our office. She took every challenge as an opportunity. At the end of her traineeship, it was evident to see how much she had learned and applied from her TAFE studies within her role in our office.

I am very proud of Jasmine's progress and of the way she took advantage of the traineeship opportunities and secured full-time employment in the private sector as a result—many congratulations to her. Jasmine was always a friendly, helpful and welcoming to constituents in the office, and I am very thankful for the work she did to assist so many people who sought my help. Jasmine had a great eye for creativity and for thinking outside the square, which will no doubt continue to be an asset for her in future endeavours.

I see the traineeship as a two-way street; as much as Jasmine has been able to benefit from the experience, she has also benefited and taught me and my office staff a lot as well. She has left her mark. I would sincerely like to thank her for her contribution and for being such a friendly staff member, and I wish her the very best in her future endeavours.