Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to make the House aware of and encourage people to come down to my electorate for a wonderful festival 30 minutes south of Hobart called A Taste of the Huon. A Taste of the Huon this year will be held over Sunday, 8 March and Monday, 9 March. This festival is in its 23rd year and it celebrates the regional produce of the Huon area. Of course, in the Apple Isle you would expect to find lots of apples, but there are also cherries, mushrooms, ciders, salmon and of course our wineries. Importantly, there are fresh berries. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of berries grown in Tasmania. Indeed, at A Taste of the Huon, you can get blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries—a whole range of berries.

The festival usually attracts around 20,000 visitors each year. It is a wonderful festival celebrating the best of Tasmanian produce, and it is all run by volunteers. There is a volunteer community that organises the festival and it then puts the money back into the local community. So it is a regional festival run by volunteers, showcasing all this wonderful produce from southern Tasmania and celebrating the region of the Huon Valley, D'Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island. It is a wonderful event down in my electorate and I encourage members of the House and people right across Australia who might be listening to come on down.

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