Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Mill Park electorate community groups

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (09:39): I rise today to speak about some of the wonderful community groups I have met with recently across the Mill Park electorate. It was wonderful to visit the Greek Orthodox Community of Whittlesea seniors group ahead of Orthodox Easter to wish them a καλό Πάσχα while sharing traditional Greek fasting biscuits. Thanks to the committee and their members for the work they do in our community and for their warm hospitality.

I was also very fortunate to visit the Golden Sun Disabled and Senior Citizens Association and the Beranci Macedonian club and join them in their celebrations of Orthodox Easter. Христос воскресна. The celebrations were marked with Macedonian music and dancing, and I had a lot of fun joining in with them.

I was also honoured to be invited to the Whittlesea Maltese Citizens Seniors Club for their annual Mother’s Day event this year in collaboration with the Lalor bocce club. The event was a beautiful celebration of Mother’s Day, and with more than 280 people in attendance it was a great success for the clubs.

And as always it was a pleasure to visit the Whittlesea Chinese Association for a ‘Meet the MP’ session, answering questions from members about many issues. Members were particularly interested in finding out more about the Victorian energy upgrades discount program, including information about cheaper heat pump water-heating systems, interest-free battery loans and discounts available on replacing their existing gas heaters. President Albert Yew and the association’s committee surprised me by gifting me a photo printed on a wooden block from the very first WCA annual general meeting in 2006, when I was there alongside others for the community, and I thank the community for the very sentimental gift.