Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance) [5.20 p.m.]: Registered clubs and businesses on the Central Coast have excelled themselves once again with their continued involvement in the second year of the Max Potential Program. The Mingara Recreational Club has led the way, supported by Club Toukley RSL, the Westpac Bank and George Brand Real Estate. In February this year 18 young leaders from seven Central Coast campuses came together and began planning their individual pathways to success, culminating at the showcase workshop at the Mingara club on Monday 17 August.

The Max Potential Program has been created as a joint initiative between Mingara, Clubs NSW, and the Future Achievement Australia Foundation. It aims to reverse the trend of a lack of purpose in the lives of youth in our community. Max Potential provides an excellent cost-effective program for registered clubs that seek to maximise involvement with their local community by connecting young people with community leaders. The aim of the program is to accelerate the potential of young people to achieve, to build their can-do attitude through a community project, to challenge them to lift their game and to develop entrepreneurial spirit.

Max Potential is not a cause; it is about personal leadership coaching. The program provides opportunities that help to make a difference, both to the life of the young leaders as well as to the growing success of local communities. Over 22 weeks, each of the students worked alongside their personal leadership coach. They explored both strategies and skills of personal development while focusing on their local community and the ways in which they can contribute to it. The coaches in this year's program came from across the Central Coast and helped the students to expand their horizons. I congratulate all the coaches who volunteered their time, including Tim Mackney and Jennie O'Donoghue.

I also congratulate the participants who include Anthony Jeffery, Dayle Cogdon, Rebecca McNeil and David Southern from the Wadalba Community School. They made a positive impact to their community services projects in which they applied their respective skills in science, vocal performance, art and sport. I also congratulate Matthew Chan, Tamara Kerr from The Entrance College, who are passionate about protecting the local marine environment, assisting younger students to make wise choices and promoting tolerance of others. Joshua Aspinall produced a play that had seven performances, and there will be more performances later. Sheri Woolston of the Wyong High School developed and implemented a peer support program to improve connections between students. Three students from the Northlakes High School participated in the program. Tiffany Hooper combined her love of dance to build a stronger connection with students with disabilities in her school.

Alex Toomey showed her leadership skills in providing a homework club for junior students and through her personal awareness of the ordeal confronting seriously ill children. Jan Kubecka organised a collection of video games through the Starlight Foundation. Kassandra Robson, Rachel Little and Clare Bodle of St Peter's College organised music workshops and raised road safety awareness for P-plate drivers. Patrick Lythall, David Shearman and Clare Falzon, from the Australian Technical College, developed a strong health and welfare message as well as their individual projects that focused on the orientation of new students, education about depression, and an anti-smoking campaign which is based on their identification of young people in the building construction industry becoming part of a strong smoking culture, hence their anti-smoking campaign to assist those young people at the early stages of their careers. Josh Kay used his skills to restore the playground equipment at his local community centre.

The highlight of the program was the presentation of the showcase at the Mingara Recreation Club in August, which was attended by my colleague the member for Wyong, David Harris, the Principal of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Andrew Newman, John Miller from the Mingara club as well as participants, coaches, volunteers, families and friends. I fully support programs such as Max Potential that provide vision for Central Coast youth by investing in leadership development and coordinating efforts. Before I conclude my speech, I bring the story of Joshua Aspinall and his play, Stand Out, Fit in, Be Heard! to the attention of the Parliament. The program for the play shows that it involves 49 activities and involves more than 60 young people. Joshua Aspinall put it all together, and I will read the message he wrote for the front of the program:

Directors Message: The Show, The Feeling, The Reason, The DreamDirectors Message: The Show, The Feeling, The Reason, The Dream

To be a director is one thing, to be a young director is another! I am honoured that Tuggerah Lakes Learning Community allowed me to produce and direct this production. Firstly I would like to explain the show a little more. This show went through several concepts and several names. Finally we came up with this show. The show is about accepting people for who they are and acknowledging the diversity within our community. This is the reason why we touch on so many areas of life in the community within the show.

That young man and all the other young people involved deserve recognition for what they have done by being in that program and by developing their skills to the point at which they can translate those skills to helping their local communities.