Thank You For Your Service Event: Far North Queensland volunteers recognised for vital service

It is my absolute privilege to welcome over 50 organisations from across our region to our first “Thank You for Your Service” event. I want to thank our wonderful Premier David Crisafulli for coming to FNQ to celebrate this important event. I also want to thank my colleague, Terry James, MP and the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers for their assistance in bringing this room of amazing people together.

Nearly two years ago, we saw the extraordinary impact volunteers have during the aftermath of Jasper.

I witnessed people step up when it mattered most – cleaning mud out of homes, packing supplies, and even rowing boats through flooded streets to reach those stranded.

Thousands of people came together, many of whom are in this room today.

And through absolute devastation and heartbreak, seeing our community unite like that was proof that we are stronger together.

These memories will have a lasting impact on me, and they’re one of the reasons I wanted to create this event as an annual celebration.

This is only our first year, but I look forward to continuing to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers in our community that make a difference every day.

This event brought together over 50 organisations in Far North Queensland from SES volunteers to sporting club committee members, School P&C members, to Cairns RSL to Cairns Airport volunteers that support and welcome tourists.

To each and every one of you and to the countless of other volunteers in our community, I want to say thank you.

Without you, I honestly don’t know how our community would function.

To our club presidents, secretaries, treasurers, registrars, coaches, team leaders and committee members, the countless hours behind the canteen, on the computer and on the field do not go unnoticed, not by us parents or our kids, or by this government.

To our school P&Cs and education groups, I know how much work goes into these roles, often after school and working a full day. Your behind-the-scenes work is invaluable and I look forward to supporting you as much as I can in the upcoming year.

Next, a big thank you to our community and charity organisations. Rosies, Smith Family, Cancer Council, Kick On and the dozens of others in this room, your work strengthens the very fabric of our community.

What you do matters.

A heartfelt shout-out to our emergency services and ex-service groups. We have over a dozen volunteers from the rural fire and SES services so thank you for coming today.

When I was reading through the nominations there was one person who especially stood out in this space and that is Don Boyd, who has been an Australian Red Cross volunteer since 24 April 2008.

During the North Queensland flooding in 2025, Don managed the Ingham evacuation centre from the moment it opened on 4 February for four days straight.

Since starting with Australian Red Cross, Don has been an Evacuation Centre Manager for 43 events, amassing around 770 hours of service as an evac centre manager. For that we would like to award you with our Volunteer of the year award.

This is just a small snapshot of the amazing volunteers across Cairns.

You care for animals, protect the environment, and provide vital social services. You greet visitors at airports, run sausage sizzles and canteens. You clean up gardens, order 200 pizzas for fundraising events, mentor youth and support those experiencing hardships. You coordinate community festivals, deliver meals, provide emergency support, and run toy libraries. You coach sports, deliver health care packages, drive community buses, lead cultural and heritage programs, and rescue animals. You do it all.

And for this I say, Thank You for Your Service.