Mr BAIRD (9:15 PM) —It is with great pleasure that I rise to advise the House of two recent funding announcements which will greatly benefit the people of the Sutherland shire. In the early hours of 27 April 2006, the replica of HM Bark Endeavour sailed through the heads of Botany Bay, anchoring off Captain Cook’s landing site at Kurnell, mirroring the events which changed Australia forever some 236 years ago. The Endeavour visited Kurnell to commemorate Cook’s landing. This is a major announcement by the Australian government to more properly celebrate and commemorate Cook’s landing in Australia. The Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, had come to Kurnell to announce various programs which will ensure that this area is better conserved and commemorated now and into the future. The largest component of Senator Campbell’s announcement is the provision of $1 million to run a competition and construct a new and more fitting monument to Cook’s achievements and landing in Australia. The landing of James Cook was a momentous event in our history. It was from Cook’s few steps onto the mainland that Australia was born. The dispatch of the First Fleet and the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales were a direct result of Cook’s exploration of Australia and particularly of Kurnell.

The current monument to Cook is an obelisk that was constructed in the 19th century, and it will of course remain at the site. The Australian government has moved to ensure that the area has a more fitting tribute to Cook, one that is more prominent and forms a focal point for visitors in the area.

The second component to the announcement was funding to restore part of the Kurnell landing site, adjacent to the memorial to Banks, to reflect the native flora that was present when Cook and Banks landed. This will be a great aid to the many schoolchildren and visitors who visit the landing site, and it will give a context to the important discoveries and studies made by Banks.

Finally, the Australian government has announced an annual national essay prize for primary and secondary students. This essay prize will aim to promote greater understanding amongst our youth of the prominent place my electorate played in the early history of Australia.

Kurnell is one of the great testaments to maritime discovery, together with sites such as Plymouth Rock in the United States. I applaud the moves by the Australian government to ensure that Kurnell is finally commemorated for its unique part in Australia’s history. For too long Kurnell has been subject to abuse and neglect by government and industry alike. Kurnell is unparalleled in Australia in terms of its central place in the story of modern Australia. Kurnell was the site where Lieutenant James Cook RN and the crew of the original Endeavour first made landfall on the Australian mainland. Kurnell was also the site where Captain Arthur Phillip RN and the First Fleet made their initial landing on the Australian continent.

As well as the announcements about Kurnell, I am also very pleased to advise the House of a series of funding announcements which will greatly benefit local schools in my electorate. These grants, which come under the successful Investing in Our Schools program, total some $1.1 million, which will deliver much-needed projects to 13 local schools. These announcements are particularly significant as they directly fund projects which have been identified by the school communities themselves as being critical to the education and safety needs of their students.

In my experience, many capital projects at schools are desperately needed, but for some reason they never seem to make it onto the priority list of the New South Wales government. Too often, schools are forced to go through the lengthy and arduous process of trying to raise the required moneys from the parents of students through fetes et cetera. I am very glad to report that the Australian government is continuing to step in to assist local schools to provide the best facilities to enhance the education and wellbeing of students.

I am very pleased that the Bates Drive Special School at Kareela, which caters to mentally and physically handicapped children, has been given almost $75,000 to provide covered walkways for its students. Similarly, Bundeena Public School has been granted almost $70,000 to upgrade its IT facilities, airconditioning and security for its students. Burraneer Bay Public School, which has suffered particularly badly by missing out on priority funding status, has received almost $100,000 for various proposals. Burraneer Bay Public School is a wonderful facility with great teachers. However, it has been chronically underfunded to the point where students are forced to use toilets that are of Third World standard.

Caringbah High School, which is a selective school, received more than $100,000 for computers and airconditioning. Cronulla High School received $97,000 for audiovisual equipment and Cronulla Public School received $64,000 for new IT facilities. Gymea North Public School received $90,000 for airconditioning; Laguna Street Public School, $113,000; Port Hacking High School, $30,000 for airconditioning; Taren Point Public School, $94,000 for refurbishment; Woolooware High School, $150,000; Woolooware Public School, $61,000 for its library and airconditioning upgrades; and, finally, Yowie Bay Public School received $55,000 for a shade structure. I applaud both Minister Ian Campbell and Minister Julie Bishop for these outstanding grants programs, which will be of great assistance to my electorate. (Time expired)