A 13-year-old Bomaderry High School student had his concerns about potholes highlighted in Federal Parliament after winning the Gilmore Raise Our Voice in Parliament competition.

Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said she was delighted to read out the speech written by year seven student Cliff Hofman from Shoalhaven Heads.

“In his speech, Cliff makes some really good points, and I actually agree that our council roads do need fixing, that’s why I chose his speech to be read out in Federal parliament,” Mrs Phillips said.

“I was most impressed with Cliff’s fact-finding skills, and his ability to reflect on an incident that impacted his family.

“He touched on the safety issues, as well as cost and frustration caused by potholes – which most of us would agree with.

“It’s really great to see young people interested in improving their communities, and shining a spotlight on things that are important to them.

“I thank all the student from right across Gilmore that send in their speeches as part of the annual competition.”

Cliff’s speech:

Do you know how much it costs to buy a new tire when you blow your tire driving over a pothole?

Well let me tell you, it is not cheap.

I am sure you did not know that seven per cent of the Shoalhaven’s roads have terrible underlying pavement conditions and a cost of $133 million to reconstruct to a satisfactory standard.

In 2022 and beyond, potholes have led to severe car damage including bent rims and blown tires.

Potholes are extremely dangerous.

My Aunt and Uncle were driving home one night and a pothole just appeared in front of them. It blew their tire, and they were stuck out in the cold, dark night for two hours.

Just imagine what could happen to motorbike riders.

When I come of age, I want to be able to drive safely and not have to worry about crashing, but for that to happen we need to seriously come up with a solution to stop this horrifying disaster.

No potholes, safe roads, this is what I want to see.

What I will see in the next 10 years.

“How good is that? I couldn’t agree more,” Mrs Phillips added.

This year’s Raise Our Voice theme is: What steps should the government take today to build a better tomorrow for young Australians?

Find out more about the competition here: Raise Our Voice Australia

Photo: Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips with this year’s Raise Our Voice in Parliament winner, Bomaderry High School student Cliff Hofman.