Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

This year is the 112th Highland gathering in Maclean. As Bob MacPherson, one of the organisers, told me, having an event that goes over 100 years is not a surprise when you have always had a Scot as treasurer. It is on this year, on 25 and 26 March. Maclean is the Scottish capital of Australia. These Highland games are a celebration of their heritage and the good people who settled the area.

It is fun and games and it is going to be a very busy weekend. There are piping competitions, drumming contests, highland dancing and highland sports—including tossing the caber, log wrestling, shot-put and the hammer throw. There is the kilted dash, which is over 100 metres, which always has interesting sites. There is haggis throwing, which is a car tube filled with sand and you throw it as far as you can.

This is all organised by the Lower Clarence Scottish Association. There is the chief, Peter Smith, and Norma Smith, his wife, who organises the dancing; Bob MacPherson, the outgoing secretary; Dianne Latta, the new secretary; John McPhee, the outgoing treasurer; Jack Wallace who is the incoming treasurer—and we know he will continue good Scottish tradition in this role; and there is Justine Wallace who organises the solo entries. There are many more I could acknowledge.

I would also like to mention that the Lower Clarence Scottish Association were a winner this year's Australia Day awards, and I congratulate them on that. I would also like to acknowledge the sponsors: Little's SPAR supermarket in Maclean, the Maclean Services Club, the Maclean Hotel, the Maclean and District Bowling Club, the Maclean community markets, the Skye Coffee Lounge and Restaurant in Maclean, the Rotary Club of Maclean, the Cane Cutters Bar and Grill hotel in Maclean, the Clarence Valley Council, TheDaily Examiner and Coastal Views newspapers, NBN Television, the Clarence Valley independent newspapers and Radio 2GF.

It is going to be a great couple of days. I encourage everyone to come along. Maclean is a fantastic spot to hang out, on any day, but it is certainly going to be a fun filled and action packed weekend with the Highland gathering.

I would like to acknowledge the Clarence Electorate Woman of the Year, Alba Linkater. I congratulate my state colleague, Chris Gulaptis, on choosing Alba. Alba is known throughout Grafton for the extraordinary work she does fundraising for the Grafton Base Hospital. Alba joined the Grafton United Hospital Auxiliary, the UHA, in 2004 and became president the following year—a position she still holds.

Under Alba's leadership the Grafton branch of the UHA has been highly successful in its fundraising. Alba is regularly identifying new ways to raise funds. Last year, the Grafton branch fundraised enough to purchase a state-of-the-art portable point-of-care ultrasound machine, for Grafton Base Hospital, at a cost of $69,000. It has also purchased a birthing bed for the maternity unit at a cost of around $18,000. Alba was instrumental in establishing an op shop attached to Grafton Base Hospital. She volunteers each week at that shop. Approximately $16,000 was raised in just its first year of operation.

Alba has a long history volunteering to help her community. In the late sixties she was president of the Beverly Hills Preschool. Not long after her retirement, in 1990, Alba started volunteering at the local primary school assisting in reading, sports, carnivals and fetes—which she did for 12 years. She also volunteered at the Rathgar Nursing Home's op shop at Ulmarra between 2005 and 2015. Congratulations, Alba, and thank you for what you do for our community.

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