Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (10:20): Peter and Mary Hay are two incredible people from my electorate of Western Victoria. They have dedicated more years to their local community than some people in this place have been alive.

In July Peter Hay was recognised for his 52 years of service on the Weerite Public Hall committee of management. Peter spent nine years as committee chair and 36 years as the secretary. Peter has also been part of the Weerite rural fire brigade for over 50 years and was rightly recognised with a CFA long service medal after 45 years.

Mary Hay, meanwhile, has been the crucial driver behind the Camperdown grandstand restoration at the Camperdown racecourse, serving as its committee secretary since its formation. Mary was subsequently awarded the Corangamite Sportsmen’s Club Rick Scroggie Memorial Award in 2019 for her efforts to restore the grandstand, an annual award to recognise service to sport in the Corangamite region. Without Mary’s efforts this famous piece of rural architecture would have been lost forever.

Peter and Mary Hay epitomise what it means to be unstinting community-minded contributors in their local rural area. Thank you, Mary and Peter.