Ms JANN McFARLANE —In June this year, I personally wrote to every family in the suburb of Balga in my electorate of Stirling. This letter contained an invitation to a community morning tea, an invitation to visit my mobile office and a community survey. I would like to thank the large number of Balga families who took the time to complete the survey and return it to my office. A key finding of the survey was that Balga residents are proud of their suburb and quite rightly resent the actions of the media and some politicians who continually seek to highlight the negative aspects of Balga. I want to make it clear that I am proud to represent Balga in the federal parliament. It is a great suburb and its people are its greatest asset.

Today I want to highlight the achievements of some of the people who are taking an active role in improving their local community through direct community action, and the Balga Action Group. The Balga Action Group evolved out of community action to help reduce the crime rate by demolishing several blocks of three-storey Homeswest flats. These flats, a failed social experiment from the 1960s, were almost unfit for human habitation, a fact that the government of the day recognised. The Western Australian state government wanted to refurbish these flats as part of their New North program. The residents of Balga were not happy with this option, and, through the establishment of the Balga Action Group, successfully lobbied for the flats to be demolished and replaced with quality housing.

The group costed two options: the government option, which was to refurbish the flats, which were 30-year-old buildings, and sell them to low income people; and the Balga residents' option, which was to demolish the flats and replace them with better quality housing and, again, sell them to people on low incomes. The group showed that the Balga residents' option was economically viable and socially beneficial. The government decided on the Balga residents' option—a win for the group, the local residents and the government.

Since their win, the group have been busy working to provide solutions to problems experienced within their community. Issues addressed by a subcommittee of the group include the building of a skateboard park, lobbying for the construction of an overpass in Mirrabooka and a main road beautification program.

Some of the group's upcoming events are, firstly, an annual clean-up day. Many respondents to my survey have identified the state of Balga's verges and parks as contributing towards people's poor perception and negative attitudes towards Balga and to crime in the suburb. Secondly, there will be a Christmas family day, which is going to include community information stalls, music, dance, carols by candlelight, a sausage sizzle and other activities. In undertaking these activities, this Balga community group has shown that people working together can address the issues and can build an attachment to their suburb. That is why I am proud to represent them in the federal parliament. It is groups like this that show that the volunteer spirit is not dead in Australia. (Time expired)