Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): On the last sitting day of the year I want to thank my community for their compassion and creativity and reflect on what we have achieved together. It has been an immensely challenging period for our northside community, and it is going to take some time to ensure our suburbs recover and thrive, but never have I been prouder of the way we have rallied together. And while it might seem like a lot of things were put on hold, I want to remind every Northcote local about the things we have accomplished.

Together we have now secured over $78 million in local school funds, with 13 major school projects underway or completed. The Chandler Highway is finished, and we are on the way to removing four level crossings in Preston, creating massive swathes of new open space. There are upgrades to Penders, Alphington and Yarra Bend parks and new cycling and walking tracks, and we are finally linking Alphington to the Darebin Yarra Trail. We have built 10 new netball courts and have another eight on the way at Fairlea Reserve. We are building Australia’s first Aboriginal Women and Girls Sport and Wellness Centre in Thornbury.

There are some things we have achieved that do not make big headlines but mean so much, like a new food forest for the kids at Croxton special school, building 38 self-contained apartments in Fairfield for women in need, supporting food relief through our neighbourhood houses and a new community garden in Croxton. These are just a few of the things we have achieved and been able to achieve together, and they are all part of reimagining a better future for the inner north. I wish my community a safe and happy festive season and cannot wait to continue this momentum into 2022.