Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Pauline RICHARDS (Cranbourne) (10:09): I would like to take the opportunity to commend and celebrate the achievements of the remarkable young resident of Cranbourne Yuven Mendis, who is only eight years old but already doing so much to ensure that our natural environment remains pristine and able to be enjoyed by all. Yuven is only eight years old and attends St Agatha’s Primary School in Cranbourne. With warmer weather returning, he and his mother have begun taking long walks around beautiful parks, and on one of these he noticed rubbish and litter scattered all over the natural area. Armed with a simple box, gloves and a rubbish picking up stick, he began collecting the litter out of concern for the local birds and small animals that might ingest and be harmed by it. ‘It is not fair,’ he told his mum, ‘the animals don’t deserve this.’ That empathy and spirit of giving back is classic Cranbourne, and the way in which Yuven is quietly cleaning up his neighbourhood and protecting local wildlife sets a wonderful example to us all. ‘We all share the world,’ he said. I would like to commend Yuven for his incredible work, which showcases the best that Cranbourne has to offer, and take a moment to thank his mother Hasanthi.