Toronto Sailability

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) [1.57 p.m.]: I inform the House of plans to establish on Lake Macquarie a Toronto branch of Sailability—a group that through sailing enriches the lives of the disabled, the elderly and the financially and socially disadvantaged. Certainly, the member for Swansea is aware of this fantastic organisation. Sailability is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation operating under various names at some 350 locations in 20 countries. Toronto Sailability would be part of Sailability New South Wales, an organisation whose mission is as follows:

Facilitate participation in sailing and boat usage at social, recreational and competitive levels on inland, estuary and ocean water, for people with disabilities regardless of age and level of disability.

Sailability has a broad view of what constitutes a disability and offers its services to people affected by acquired brain injury, amputations, asthma, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, hearing impairment, heart disease, intellectual disability, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, quadriplegia, spina bifida and vision impairment. Since its genesis in the 1980s in Great Britain, Sailability has benefited over 15,000 participants. In 1991 Sailability was introduced to Australia and currently over 50 groups operate here. The proponents of the Toronto group have made great efforts to raise funds and to enlist the support of individuals and organisations in the community, but it will need to rely on the support of some government agencies if it is to succeed. There is a long list of requirements for a site to be suitable for Sailability. This includes suitable water quality, water depth, access to uncongested waters and suitable prevailing wind direction.

Requirements for access for onshore facilities include launching facilities, a ramp, a jetty with wheelchair access and a gantry for transferring clients. Onshore requirements include parking, shade, storage, and wheelchair-accessible showers and toilets. The proposed location at Toronto has all the natural attributes and already has many of the infrastructure requirements. In simple terms, the site only needs the improvements necessary to move disabled people between their car and boat, plus access to shower and toilet facilities. Five of the ten boats needed have already been acquired, as well as minor items such as life jackets. The group is fundraising by selling 1,000 copies of the book Sailing Legends of Sydney Harbour, which were donated by local identity and author, the late Fred Thomas.

The major infrastructure requirement is a wharf and pontoon with a total value of $150,000. One-third of this is being sought as a donation from a local financial institution, one-third has been applied for through the New South Wales Maritime Infrastructure Fund, and the remainder is subject to an application currently being prepared for the Department of Sport and Recreation. Storage for boats will be provided by Toronto Amateur Sailing Club, which has lodged a development application for a $20,000 expansion. The club has also jointly lodged an application with the Department of Aging, Disability and Home Care for $10,000 for a wheelchair-accessible toilet block.

Investing in Toronto Sailability will bring great benefits. As with any endeavour, its value is in the results it produces, such as from the following examples. Ken, a 28-year-old paraplegic mildly afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth, arrived at a Sailability site with his full-time carer mother, who had heard of Sailability from a friend. Some four weeks later Ken had progressed from having a paralysing fear of boats and water to sailing single-handedly around a triangular course and back to the pontoon. When he reached the pontoon, his joy was such that he burst into tears. So did the volunteers and his mum.

A 35-year-old male pilot who had become paraplegic after a bad parachute landing was taught by Sailability Pittwater to sail a 2.4R keel yacht, similar to the single-person yacht used in the Paralympics. In recent years he migrated to Hungary for family reasons. This year he represented Hungary in the single-person 2.4R event at the Paralympics in Beijing. He emailed his thanks to Sailability Pittwater. These results are life changing and are more the rule than the exception. This happens because Sailability volunteers make the effort to turn out week after week to provide this remarkable social facility. Surprisingly, very few volunteers have disabled children, relatives or friends. They volunteer because they see the value in helping others. Sailing enables people with a wide range of disabilities to participate and achieve, and compete on equal terms—even with able-bodied sailors.

The dedication of those planning this valuable service for Toronto, particularly Mr Geoff Thornley, should be acknowledged and their efforts supported. I bring the House's attention to Toronto Sailability because I strongly support what it is trying to achieve. I am confident that this will be a view supported across Lake Macquarie. I sincerely hope that the group's requests for Government assistance can be met.

Mrs KARYN PALUZZANO (Penrith—Parliamentary Secretary) [2.02 p.m.]: I thank the member for Lake Macquarie for bringing Toronto Sailability to the attention of the House. I acknowledge that there are 50 groups of Sailability around the State offering sailing experience to those with particular needs. One of those 50 Sailability clubs is located at Penrith Lakes. I have observed the Sailability program in operation on a number of occasions. I wish to commend the organisation's volunteers, whom the member for Lake Macquarie acknowledged in his speech. The volunteers do a wonderful job assisting people with a physical disability to and from their boats, and assisting the organisation of the Sailability clubhouse.

Every Australia Day, as well as every time an event is held—such as Activate, which took place last weekend on Penrith Lakes—Sailability volunteers are out there promoting the use of their sailboats. The program also has a spin-off effect. In the recent Paralympics, one of our local residents, John Maclean, a local sportsman who sustained a spinal injury, won a silver medal in adaptive rowing. Adaptive rowing, together with Sailability at Penrith Lakes, provides sporting opportunities for people with a physical disability. Once again I thank the member for Lake Macquarie for bringing the matter to the attention of the House.