OPENU-NG-OF-TE-BOBHAWKECOMMUNLTYCENTRE~
COBURG -14 FEBRUARY 1987
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT WAS A VERY GREAT HONOUR YOU DID ME WHEN YOU ASKED ME TO
GIVE MY NAME TO THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE AT COBURG. THIS
PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER TWO SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN TO THIS
GOVERNMENT NAMELY, AGED CARE AND MULTICULTURALISM, AND IT
DOES SO-IN A PARTICULARLY BRILLIANT F-ASHION.
THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE IS SET UP TO BE JUST THAT -A CENTRE
FOR THE COMMUNITY OF COBURG. IT WILL PROVIDE ELDERLY PEOPLE
OF MANY ETHNIC ORIGINS WITH A MEETING-PLACE-AND ACTIVITIES
CENTRE FOR ANYTHING FROM A CUP OF COFFEE TO A FULL SCALE
FESTIVAL. PEOPLE OF COBURG'S LEBANESE, TURKISH, MALTESE,
ITALIAN AND GREEK COMMUNITIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN USING THE
CENTRE SINCE BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND, I TRUST, USING IT WITH
PLEASURE. THERE IS ALSO A VERY SPECIAL FEATURE HERE KNOWN AS A
MULTICULTURAL KITCHEN. THIS IS INTENDED TO ALLOW ITALIAN,
GREEK, LEBANESE AND TURKISH GROUPS TO PREPARE
MEALS-ON-WHEELS FOOD FOR PEOPLE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE
LIVING AT HOME UNABLE TO COOK FOR THEMSELVES. AS WELL, THE
KITCHEN IS SET UP TO COOK SPECIAL MEALS FOR DIABETICS AND
PATIENTS WITH CANCER, ULCERS AND CARDIAC PROBLEMS. THE
KITCHEN WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE 600 MEALS A DAY.
IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA AND I COMMEND THE ORGANISERS VERY
STRONGLY FOR THEIR IMAGINATION IN PUTTING THE PLAN INTO'
ACTION. SO I AM PROUD TO BE HERE FOR THREE REASONS BECAUSE IT
CARRIES MY NAME, BECAUSE IT SERVES MY CONSTITUENTS AND
BECAUSE IT IS THE OUTCOME OF ONE OF MY GOVERNMENT'S
IMPORTANT NEW INITIATIVES IN THE AREA OF COMMUNITY WELFARE.
MY GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED JUST OVER $ 1/ 2 MILLION TO SET UP
THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE AND TO FUND THE MEALS-ON-WHEELS
SERVICES WHICH OPERATE FROM HERE.
THIS MONEY WAS ALLOCATED UNDER THE HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE
PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE
NINE-OUT-OF-TEN OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO LIVE AT HOME.
HACC SEEKS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO
CHANGE THE BALANCE AWAY FROM EXPENSIVE INSTITUTIONAL CARE IN
FAVOUR OF COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES TO HELP AGED OR DISABLED
PEOPLE REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN.
THE COMMUNITY CENTRE STANDS AS A GREAT SYMBOL OF THE
COMMITMENT BY ALL THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO HELPING
ELDERLY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS WELL AS MY GOVERNMENT'S ROLE, CAROLINE HOGG HAS POINTED
___ OUTTHE_ VICT_ ORIAN_ LABOR GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED SOME LAND FOR
THE CENTRE. AND OF COURSE COBURG CITY COUNCIL HAS PLAYED A
VERY CONSIDERABLE ROLE IN ENSURING THE CENTRE CAME INTO
EXTISTENCEB-Y-CONTRIBUTING MILLION-TO-THE COST OF-THE---
PROJECT. IN CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF ALL AGED RESIDENTS OF COBURG,
INCLUDING THE ETHNIC COMMUNITIES, THE CENTRE IS A GOOD
EXAMPLE OF THE VIBRANT AND HARMONIOUS MULTICULTURALISM THAT
THIS GOVERNMENT HAS ENCOURAGED.
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT AUSTRALIA CAN BE PROUD OF ITS
ACHIEVEMENT IN BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE OF MANY ETHNIC
-BACKGROUNDS INTO ONE NATION IN WHICH THEY CAN ENJOY THEIR
OWN CULTURES AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE TO THE FULL IN OUR
NATIONAL CIVIC LIFE.
AS-MANY-OF YOU WILL KNOW, MULTICULTURALISM IS A SPECIAL AREA
OF MY CONCERN AND I HAVE ESTABLISHED AN OFFICE OF
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS AND AN ASSOCIATED ADVISORY COUNCIL
WITHIN MY PORTFOLIO.
I BELIEVE THAT THE NEW BODIES WILL MAKE AN ACTIVE AND
EFFECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICULTURAL
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. THEY WILL BE WELL PLACED TO PROMOTE
BETTER CO-ORDINATION AND TO BRING ETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL
INTERESTS TO NOTICE IN THE POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING
PROCESSES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE WILL PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN ENHANCING MULTICULTURAL VALUES AND IN
ENABLING AGED PEOPLE IN THE COBURG AREA TO CONTINUE TO LIVE
IN THEIR OWN HOMES IN A FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT.
I AM NOW PLEASED OFFICIALLY TO OPEN THE BOB HAWKECOMMUNITY
CENTRE AND IN DOING SO I EXPRESS THE WISH THAT IT WILL BE
ENJOYED BY ALL WHO USE IT.