Oatley Electorate Local Woman of the Year Rosemary Bishop

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-101202

Hansard session: Fifty-Sixth Parliament, First Session (56-1)

Oatley Electorate Local Woman of the Year Rosemary Bishop

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (18:32:10):

Tonight I recognise International Women's Day, which was celebrated on 8 March. I acknowledge and congratulate Rosemary Bishop on being named Oatley's Local Woman of the Year for 2018. It was an honour to attend the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony with Rosemary last Thursday at what was an inspiring morning with many successful, hardworking and outstanding women in attendance. Rosemary is a community-minded, driven individual with a heart for helping people and seeing them excel in every sphere of life. As the chief executive officer of 3Bridges Community, Rosemary strives to embody the organisation's vision to make a positive difference and to impact on people's lives through engagement, integration and activation. Rosemary has fostered this through her longstanding commitment to partnering with the community by helping disadvantaged individuals in the most vulnerable of circumstances.

In addition to being community minded, Rosemary is an excellent businesswoman. Rosemary's previous experience in private enterprise has enabled her to assist 3Bridges Community in increasing its return from social enterprises and to invest in services that do not receive government funding, such as Early Years Support, a program offering vulnerable families assistance with their newborn babies. Rosemary has also increased 3Bridges Community engagement across business, community and government by leading the 3 Point Connect series, which brings together leaders to discuss problems and to work to address them. In 2017 the problem that gained the greatest engagement across sectors was "Living to 100—a blessing or a curse?" Since being appointed chief executive officer in 2014, Rosemary has overseen many improvements in service reach, capacity, impact and sustainability.

Some of her achievements include improving the access for local clients through new, place-based service outreach and community centres at Gymea, Kogarah, Oatley, Mortdale and Roselands; overseeing the construction of the new Penshurst Community Centre, which opened in July 2017; increasing the number of clients supported by 3Bridges, from 25,000 in 2014 to 35,000 in 2017; accessing funding to introduce the Early Years Support Service in the St George area to support young families and their babies; increasing the number of active volunteers who help support clients, from 200 in 2014 to 325 in 2017; acquiring $1.4 million in funding for the Meeting Centre Support Program in order to research and demonstrate the impact of a new carer model for people living with dementia; and achieving three years of surpluses at 3Bridges to help extend service impact and upgrade infrastructure across five community centres.

Although being the chief executive officer for only four years, it is clear that Rosemary is hardworking, dedicated and committed to fostering a safe, healthy and happy community. Her achievements over the span of just a few years prove exactly that. Along with honouring Rosemary in the House today, I also wish to take this opportunity to highlight the outstanding work of 3Bridges Community as a well-integrated, well-known organisation in my electorate and across the St George area. I note that the member for Rockdale and the member for Kogarah are in the Chamber at the moment.

3Bridges Community's historical roots are firmly entrenched in the local communities across Sydney's south. Through the amalgamation of three key community-based organisations in 2014 to form 3Bridges Community, the organisation has grown in capacity to deliver more comprehensive services while maintaining a very local feel—not just in the St George area, but in the Sutherland Shire as well. The team at 3Bridges Community have brought together their community networks and knowledge to provide the best possible services for many residents within my electorate—from babies in playgroups to pensioners at group outings. The services focus on four main life stages: children and families, youth, adults, and seniors.

The team of staff and volunteers are well immersed in the local area, enabling them to understand, support, nurture and make a positive difference in a way that will grow and improve the community. I thank the hardworking staff and volunteers at 3Bridges Community for the work they do in my electorate and the broader South Sydney area. My appreciation is again extended to Rosemary. I could not think of a more deserving woman in my electorate to be awarded Woman of the Year for 2018. I thank Rosemary for leading by example and sharing her vision so purposefully and passionately with her team, partners and the Government. She is an inspiration and role model to many, which is why I believe she is well deserving of recognition in the House today.

TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Geoff Provest):

The sense of feeling between the members in the St George area—the members of Rockdale, Kogarah and Oatley—has impressed me. We do not get a feeling of love very often in this Chamber, but I say to them: well done for bringing the feeling of joy and love to this Chamber.