Mr ANTHONY SMITH (9:30 AM) —I rise this morning in this House to pay tribute again to the wonderful community in Wandin in the Yarra Valley in the federal electorate of Casey, and in particular the Wandin CFA. On Saturday, 5 March, along with 180 other members of the local community, I attended the opening of the Wandin Fire Station extension. The Wandin CFA was founded in the 1940s. It has a proud history. Due to the dedication and support of so many members of the local community, they have been able to extend their station. Mr Deputy Speaker, as you would appreciate, it has taken a lot of work and a lot of commitment. I pay tribute to the captain, Mr Peter Polovinka. I also pay tribute to Les Sharp. He is a member of the CFA and the Wandin Rotary and is irrepressible, unstoppable and ever persistent. The extension of this CFA district station would not have come about without his constant effort over the past four or five years.

As I said, it was a wonderful community effort. There were contributors at so many levels. The Bendigo Bank of Wandin and Seville contributed $50,000. I pay tribute to so many of the local businesses that gave in-kind donations and gave their time and equipment at so many levels—Gavin McIntyre the builder; Meyland Constructions, who did the excavations; Beenak Constructions; Warratina Lavender Farm; Wandin Video; Zen Gawronski the painter; Waterhouse Timber; Boral Quarries; Activity Playgrounds; Mount Evelyn Garden and Produce; Hewitt Constructions; Wandin Retravision; Robin Mauder the sign writer; and the Golden Opportunity Shop in Seville.

On top of that, as you would imagine, Mr Deputy Speaker, there was constant fundraising to ensure that this great day came about. The extended fire station is a much-needed practical upgrade for the Wandin CFA. It will also serve as a wonderful community facility for everyone in Wandin and the wider community. I commend the leadership of the Wandin CFA and the Wandin community for their community spirit and dedication.