This week I had the pleasure of attending the Hunter Mountain Bike Association club base at Awaba to announce a $450,000 Stronger Country Communities Fund grant to expand the mountain bike park with world-class trails.

Included in that expansion is the addition of trails for disabled riders, making the park the

I acknowledge an impressive milestone reached recently by Tony Prior of Fishing Point. For 50 years Tony, a retired pharmacist, has served local communities through the Lions Clubs, showing an unquestionable dedication to his local community. Tony first joined Lions in 1968 when he lived at Branxton. He transferred to the Singleton Lions Club in

I acknowledge one of Lake Macquarie's most tireless volunteers and environmental champions. I recently had the honour of presenting Robyn Charlton with a NSW Government Community Service Award to acknowledge the many years she has spent working on countless environmental and community projects. Robyn has attained a degree in environmental

I acknowledge a large and very dedicated team of volunteers within Morisset Lions Club which until last January had operated the Driver Reviver station on the M1 for the past 23 years.

Many motorists heading north of Sydney through the Hunter region would have seen this driver rest stop at Beresfield.

The station, which was run

I acknowledge the tremendous work being done in the Lake Macquarie area by Mel Hall. The words "colourful character" get thrown around too often these days when they should be reserved for people like Mel, who brings great joy to many people. Mel, from Teralba, was a panel beater by trade and is now a part-time musician in his retirement,

I acknowledge Morisset resident Beryl Mullard, who has done a remarkable job researching, preserving and recording local history. Beryl recently self-published her third work on the Morisset district, entitled Way Back Then: A Pictorial History of Morisset and District including Wangi Wangi and Rathmines. Her latest work details a mix of

I acknowledge the remarkable challenge being undertaken by Wendy Evans. Wendy, a person with cerebral palsy, is attempting to become the first person with a severe disability to sail solo around Lake Macquarie, a spectacular waterway. On Friday10 November I wished Wendy well as she embarked on the first day of

There are many young people in Lake Macquarie who are doing great things in our community, often unseen and unheralded. The effort of six Year 10 students from Toronto High School who recently completed a 250-kilometre track along the Great North Walk to raise money for the Black Dog Institute deserves to be heralded loudly. Lachlan Maher, Caleb

The Lake Macquarie community is very proud of its returned service men and women, and none more so than Dave Edmond of Wangi Wangi. The Vietnam veteran was recently awarded life membership of the National RSL. That is a fitting tribute to a man who served his country valiantly not only as a rifleman but also in peacetime service to his community.

It is with great sadness that I inform the House that Lake Macquarie lost one of its finest at the weekend with the passing Robert "Dutchy" Holland. His sporting achievements on the world stage were outshone only by his dedication to family and the local community. Well remembered for taking wickets for Australia in the mid-1980s cricket