Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to advise the House of my visit to Broome last week. I started the week with the northern Australia committee meetings on the aquaculture industry at the Broome Civic Centre. This gave me an opportunity to listen to local business people in my electorate and hear firsthand what the government can do to assist them to flourish. Thanks to James Brown, of Cygnet Bay Pearls and Patrick Moase of Clipper Pearls for telling us about the challenges facing the shrinking Broome pearl industry. Let me tell you, I will never question the price of a Broome pearl again; they are worth every penny. With its pristine waters and perfect climate, the Kimberley coast is ripe for aquaculture, but government has to play a role to ensure designated zones are investor-ready.

On Friday I was very happy to see one of my election commitments come to fruition, with the delivery of the SeaLegs rescue craft to Broome Volunteer Sea Rescue Group. The event was attended by the commander of the Broome Volunteer Sea Rescue Group, Lyle Smedley; former commander, Colin Kenworthy; Chris Wright; and the other brave men and women who volunteer their time to ensure the safety of those on the Kimberley coast. Along with the new Royal Flying Doctor Service base, these will be great additions to Broome and I am pleased to have played a role in delivering this for the town and the broader Kimberley region. This new sea rescue vessel, a major boost to the emergency capabilities of not just Broome but the Kimberley, is something I know Broome people have wanted for some time. This is one of mine and the Abbott government's election commitments of investing over $3 million in new air and sea rescue facilities through the Kimberley, and I am very proud to have delivered on that promise.

Early in the day I opened the new Australia Post superstore in Broome. The superstore features a state-of-the-art design and a wider range of products and services, which will change the way the people of Broome send and receive mail. These openings will further boost services in the idyllic town of Broome, one of Western Australia's fastest-growing places.

I am thrilled not just for the people of Broome but also for the many visitors who pass through the streets of Broome. For those of you who do not believe me when I talk about how diverse Durack can be, please come and visit Broome and you will be very pleasantly surprised.

In closing, I want to say that I am very happy to say that Broome has had an excellent start to its tourist season—long may it last. I want to take the few seconds available to me to acknowledge the hardworking hospitality and tourist operators in Broome, who have not had it so great the last few years. I really appreciate them hanging in there. Let us hope that the tide has now turned for them.

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