Mrs GASH (9:55 AM) —You need only pick up a local newspaper and compare content categories to see where the main interests lie in a community. What section carries the most stories? It is the sports pages. That is because somebody who knows somebody else is going to get a mention. The stories cross the whole spectrum of age groups and gender. In fact, sport dominates the minds of many Australians, whether as participants or as spectators. We see ourselves as a sporting nation and we are proud of our achievements in that field. Many lasting friendships are formed on the field and sport plays a role in social bonding and providing a common area of interest. It is an area where a great deal of energy, commitment and dedication is invested. Such an investment should be recognised by community leaders—and who better than their representative in parliament?

Two years ago I did just that by instituting the Gilmore Sportswoman Awards, thanks to the initiative of Mrs Betty Berg OAM. On 12 March last year I delivered a speech to the House explaining how we ran the award. What I wanted to do was extend recognition right across the board not only to the athletes but also to the very large group of people that makes these achievements possible—the administrators, the coaches, the first aid attendants, the judges, the referees, the volunteers and even the little boy who carries the oranges to the players. They all play a role and they all have contributed in their small way, even though there may not be any medals or trophies for their efforts.

The inaugural presentations were specifically female orientated, and at the final presentation I assured them that 2003-04 would see a sportsman's award. No-one believed this, but the sportsman's award was run on the same lines as the women's award in all of our regions—Moss Vale, Huskisson, Ulladulla, Kiama and Nowra. At the same time we repeated the women's Gilmore awards as well. Now the awards are firmly established on the local sports calendar for both sportsmen and sportswomen. This year we were privileged to attract the services of the Minister for the Arts and Sport, the Hon. Rod Kemp. His presence added substance to an already credible ceremony and I am grateful for his support.

So far in Gilmore we have had 2½ thousand people from the sporting community participate in the awards and each year there are more waiting in the wings. I have met so many interesting and committed people that represent an almost typical cross-section of the community. What thrilled me was to see the junior athletes—the young adults who may possibly be tomorrow's leaders—rubbing shoulders equally with the fit and wizened old hands, listening to their stories and getting caught up in an atmosphere which I can only describe as giving them a sense of community and belonging. Of course, we really must recognise the contribution of the parents and families of the nominees. They, too, encouraged and supported the nominees, constantly urging them to aim higher and to do better. It is from these fertile fields that we build character and decency. We encourage fair competition and teamwork and we do it to build a better community for us all.

In terms of time the Gilmore Sports Award is probably the most gratifying activity of my being a local member. All the events were positive and, in company like that, it certainly rubs off. It is one of those `you had to be there' moments to get the full appreciation of what the awards have come to mean. I am proud to have played a part in extending recognition to those men and women of our sporting community who otherwise might have gone unnoticed.