Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Belinda WILSON (Narre Warren North) (14:43): Today I rise to talk about my amazing community of Narre Warren North, a community I have the privilege of representing. Over the past fortnight across Narre Warren, Hallam, Narre Warren North, Endeavour Hills, Lysterfield South and parts of Harkaway and Berwick we have marked a series of significant cultural and religious events, including the commencement of Ramadan, the season of Lent, the celebration of Lunar New Year and the Indian Holi festival. Each of these occasions carries its own traditions and its own unique stories. In Narre Warren North these celebrations are not isolated to individual groups; they become shared moments that reflect the diverse respect and deeply connected community that we all have. Across the events I saw families, faith leaders, cultural organisations, volunteers, schools and local businesses come together. I saw neighbours learning from one another, participating in each other’s traditions and showing genuine curiosity and care. This is what makes our community strong; it is what makes it very, very special. At a time when some people seek to divide our communities Narre Warren shows others the way. We show that diversity is not weakness but a source of strength, and we show that unity is not about being the same but about valuing each other’s differences. The events all had one common theme, which was ‘Celebrating unity and respect’. I would continue – (Time expired)