Bundaberg/Fraser Coast Relay for Life

Bundaberg/Fraser Coast Relay for Life staff and volunteers, including Patron, Mr Ron Myler and Face of the Relay, Ms Sharon Jackson; relayers and your many supporters; distinguished guests.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Bundaberg and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

Thank you for that warm welcome. As Joint Patrons of Cancer Council Queensland, Graeme and I are delighted to join you in this beautiful part of Queensland for this year’s Bundaberg/Fraser Coast Relay for Life.  

For the past 22 years, the local community has gathered to celebrate cancer survivors, to acknowledge those going through a cancer experience—and their carers—and to honour and remember loved ones lost to this insidious group of diseases.  

Amidst the many elements planned for today—including the walking and skating relays; the creativity demonstrated in costumes and batons; the hotly-contested awards—there is, of course, a serious side to this important event. A determined side.  

We come together on days like this with one clear objective in mind: to move ever closer to a cancer-free future.  

The importance of community events such as this day cannot be over-estimated. You are playing your part in a global Relay for Life movement that is now the world’s largest fundraising event for cancer.

Your active involvement, in partnership with your families and friends, with your community, makes possible a deeper understanding of the many complex aspects of cancer, and allows us to strive towards better prevention and treatments, and the joy and relief of discovering cures.   

Those partnerships—doing this important work together—are vital at every level.  

At the Bundaberg Aeromedical Base, opened just six years ago, two iconic organisations, LifeFlight and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, joined forces to provide emergency care and inter-hospital transfers for patients in the Wide Bay-Burnett region.  

I am honoured to also be Patron of both these organisations, and I’m delighted to note the significant rise in numbers assisted at the Base’s world-class facilities.

This progress would not have been possible without the same involvement that we see demonstrated here today: the support of government, corporate organisations, local businesses and individuals—the community coming together to create better health outcomes for its people.  

As I keep abreast of developments in this region, I’m reminded of the amazing resilience of the people of Bundaberg.  

The numerous flooding events of recent years—the last just months ago—would have dismayed the stoutest of hearts. Yet, you meet these challenges with a determined, united spirit.   

Similarly, you have rallied again today for this most worthy cause, where every dollar you raise will go towards cancer research, prevention, and support in Queensland.   

It’s clear to me that the people of Bundaberg understand that when we act together, we thrive. The Relay for Life movement is a wonderful embodiment of that ethos—one that has, to date, raised over $2.3 million.  

So, today, pass the baton to each other with pride in all that you have achieved—and continue to achieve—as a community. I wish you a very successful and enjoyable day.