Thursday, 30 May 2024

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Minister for Planning, Minister for the Suburbs) (09:52): Last weekend I joined with proud members of the Frankston SES unit as well as volunteers and personnel from other emergency services organisations, including Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, SES Chelsea unit, Skye fire brigade, Carrum Downs fire brigade and Fire Rescue Victoria, to officially open the Frankston SES satellite facility in Skye.

It was a big day and an emotional one too – so many years in the making and so much fierce advocacy by so many, but especially the members and volunteers of Frankston SES, who I have got to know so well over this nearly nine-year journey and who I am proud to call my friends. Special mention goes to Brooke Bird, Priscilla Grimme, Shane Double, Monique Napolitan, Mark Ivory, Philip Holt, Alisha Wells, Dimity Lynch, Brad O’Donoghue, Paul O’Donoghue and Wayne Roberts and of course, especially, Brian McMannis.

To every single member of the Frankston SES unit, I am in awe of you – local community members whose sole motivation is to help others. You train for it, and you deliver. We owe you not just our gratitude and thanks but the facilities to reflect your commitment and dedication to the local community. Well, the new fit-for-purpose facility in Skye will hopefully do just that and help the Frankston SES expand their vital services to cover the growing communities of Skye, Carrum Downs and Sandhurst. The Skye now is truly orange.

I put out the call to residents in my community to consider putting up their hand to volunteer with Frankston SES or indeed any one of our volunteer emergency organisations.