Thursday, 23 February 2023

North-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:47): President, three years ago I was sworn in in this place as a member for the Eastern Metropolitan Region, a region that you proudly represented. It is great to have Mr McGowan here as well in the chamber presently. However, as the result of a recent distribution, we now represent new communities – amazing communities – in the lower house electorates of Bundoora and also Mill Park. I want to put on record my commitment – I am sure it is shared by other members representing these communities – to now embrace these fabulous communities that stretch from Wollert to Watsonia. There is much natural beauty in this part of the world that is sometimes misunderstood – for example, the beautiful Plenty Gorge parklands and the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary. Previously in some of my other capacities I have had the opportunity to build good relationships with La Trobe University, a fantastic educational institution and a massive employer in this broader region. We were just hearing about the diversity of the fabulous schools Mr Tarlamis was giving a shout-out to, quite rightly. Well, across Bundoora and Mill Park there is amazing diversity. Sixty per cent of residents in Bundoora have a parent who was born overseas, as I do. In Mill Park 70 per cent of people have a parent who was born overseas and 45 per cent of people speak a language other than English at home. There are huge Italian communities of people who have come here from Italy, as Mr Mulholland’s family did, and people who have come here from Greece, as my family did. I am immensely proud, as other members are, to represent these communities anew.