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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-13 Daily Xml
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Christie Downs Fun Day

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (15:36): I rise to speak about an outstanding event held on 2 November created by the Christie Downs community and, importantly also, the collective passion for bringing Christie Downs people together which underpinned this event, a passion steeped in the deep desire of Christie Downs' community members to have their suburb valued, build a strong and active community, and to value and support one another.

We hear much about the need to ensure communities are engaged, have a strong voice and are able to lead on what matters to them. I am an avid advocate for this and am proud that the Christie Downs Fun Day embodied genuine community empowerment. It was community led by the members of the Christie Downs Better Together group, a group which is supported by passionate Community Development Officer, Leonz Sevier, and the City of Onkaparinga Community Development team, but which was initiated by community members and has grown and deepened its ties with many in the suburb as its community leadership continues to flourish.

The Better Together group is highly inclusive, empowers its members and is relentlessly focused on supporting individuals and the broader community to unleash the best that they have to offer. In a suburb where, for many, things have not always been easy and which has, from time to time, been spoken about or treated in a disparaging way, this event celebrated the diversity, inclusivity, creativity, resourcefulness, kindness, resilience and camaraderie inherent in Christie Downs.

Lonsdale Heights Primary School hosted the day where Better Together is housed in its shed. It was attended by around 1,000 people. It was unique and it connected people, groups and organisations. In its every aspect it allowed community members and groups to shine.

Alongside the Southern Weavers group, made up of a group of extraordinary local Aboriginal women, the Lonsdale Heights kids sang their beautiful hearts out. Henna tattoos, face painting and hand massages were enjoyed next to the car boot sale. The skate ramp was a hub of activity and the Vertical Freedom parkour group was breathtaking. Community members drummed while kids enjoyed iceblocks and their parents enjoyed a round of croquet, the tug-of-war and home-cooked Mesopotamian food.

Amongst many highlights was the inaugural Shopping Trolley Derby in which I entered our Reynell Rampage team. In the Shopping Trolley Derby sporting code, teams of four have one member in the trolley, one pushing from behind and one pushing from each side of the trolley, and race quickly (or in our case not so quickly and rather erratically) around an obstacle course, with the winner being those who arrived first intact at the finish line.

Reynell Rampage were helmeted, determined, but spectacularly unsuccessful, and along the way we managed to injure a staff member to the degree that he was attended to by the very generous St John's Ambulance volunteers. Thankfully he is okay and we are intending to derby for the first place trophy next year.

Recently I read an article about a Melbourne suburb that has latched onto 'yarn bombing' which is helping their inner city suburb to become even more hipster than it apparently is. I was happy for them but also reflected on how the creativity of Christie Downs community members who have been 'yarn bombing' and 'colouring-in' Christie Downs since August 2013 should be celebrated.

Around Christie Downs, community members of every age have taken their craft to the streets with artistic knitted cosies as street art covering trees, vehicles, fences, posts—anything. Complementing it, around 50 Stobie poles are painted in Christie Downs including many painted by local kids who, through painting, have expressed what makes them happy. Like many public places in Christie Downs, the entrance to the fun day was a work of 'yarn bombing' art, and local southern institution, Colleen the Caravan, was entirely 'yarn bombed'.

Monique and Jeremy Garrood, Carly and Ben Squires, Anton and Bec Rook, Shelley Ryan, Angela and Luke Beauchamp, Sharon Russell, Jan Mann, Molly Wakeley, Monica Kharui, Bonnie, Belinda and Simon Uphill, Linda Mann, Hayley Munro, Janet and Graham Whitten, Louise McDonald, and Rasha and her mum were driving forces. I thank each of them for their extraordinary vision and capacity to work together to bring the fun day to life.

I acknowledge and thank Christie Downs Community House for their ongoing leadership in the area and their role on the day. I acknowledge and thank the City of Onkaparinga team, Wakefield House, Elizabeth House, Uniting Communities, Communities for Children, the Fleurieu Cancer Network and the Southern Domestic Violence Community Development Network for their involvement.

I also thank the very generous and community-minded local businesses who contributed. Through the fun day, the big hearts, open minds and sheer resourcefulness of the people of Christie Downs shone. I wish them all the best with their nomination for the City of Onkaparinga Australia Day Event of the Year Award.

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