Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:52) 

The Hunter has produced a remarkable stack of professional and elite athletes, and I want to make sure we support the next crop of our sporting talent so our next generation of superstars can also come from the Hunter too. Participating in high level sport comes at a cost that most of the parents put their hands in their pocket for to get their kids to competitions. The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for young people to compete, coach or umpire in their chosen sport. The small grants make a significant difference to athletes and their parents, enabling them to see how far they can go.

I want to congratulate our recent local champions: Zane Wilkinson, who competed in Wollongong at the National Youth Championships for soccer; Tyson Williams rode at the Fox Australian Supercross National Championships. Eli Slomka competed at the Judo National Championships. Keira Carlson will compete in the Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Queensland next month; finally, Jed Louis, who will ride at next year's Oceania Junior Cup Motorcycling Championships.

Congratulations to all these local sporting champions from the Hunter. Sport has always been a massive part of the Hunter, and it's amazing to see so many young people from the area still competing at a higher level. Stay committed, train hard, try your best and you never know how far sport will take you.