Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It was an honour to spend Australia Day celebrating the Lunar New Year Festival in Springvale. Ninety thousand people crammed Buckingham Avenue for a celebration that has become one of Melbourne's most successful annual events, and I was joined by the member for Isaacs for that event.

Success is due in large part to the dedication of the Springvale Asian Business Association, SABA, and its President Tom Huynh, owner of local travel agency Extra Green Travel. I want to acknowledge Stan Chang, a SABA past president and friend who has made a great contribution to Springvale over the years. Under the leadership of Tom, Stan, Frankie Chen, Quang Hung Ong, Martin Lee and founding President Hoang Tran, SABA have been the driving force of this festival for 21 years.

This year the Federation of Chinese Associations and their President Vincent Chow joined SABA to organise a thrilling event. The federation is made up of a large number of groups including the Monash Chinese Friendship Association, the Cambodian Chinese Friendship Association of Victoria and the Melbourne East Region Chinese Friendship Centre. The Year of the Horse is known as one of speedy success—an appropriate theme for Springvale, which in just two generations has become one of the most lively, multicultural and exciting suburbs in all of Melbourne. On behalf of the people of Hotham, I would like to wish the parliament:

Happy New Year and may the year of the Wooden Horse bring great fortune to you and your families and to the vibrant, diverse community I am privileged to represent in Hotham.

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