Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault)— It is always great to see young people get involved in making and enjoying music, which is such a beautiful and important part of life.

Bandfest Newcastle celebrates the performance development of primary and secondary public school bands, and this year was held at Newcastle City Hall from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 October. Each year, Bandfest serves as a showcase for fantastic school bands from around the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area to showcase their talents to one another in a friendly, music-filled environment and receive constructive feedback from musical expert.

A number of Charlestown electorate schools competed, including Charlestown South Public, Dudley Public, Eleebana Public, New Lambton South Public, Warners Bay Public and Warners Bay High. Charlestown South Public School won the primary school "developing" category, a great follow-on to their "preliminary" category win in 2022. It's wonderful to see local musical talent fostered in our public schools, and I want to congratulate the students and a special thanks to all the music teachers for helping them pursue their musical studies.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!