Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Spending by the ABC in rural and regional Australia is an investment, not a cost. I am looking forward to welcoming the chair, the CEO and the board of the ABC to Indi on Friday, 25 November, to celebrate the launch of the second series of Back Roads and the enormous success of the first series.

To the CEO, Michelle Guthrie: it is fantastic to have your support for rural and regional Australia and your commitment to spending. I ask that you and the board, when you come to Yackandandah, talk and you listen to the locals and come to understand what a creative, innovative and amazing community it is, and how important investment in rural and regional Australia is in its telecommunications. Come and listen and hear what we do with the wonderful resources that you share with us.

I would particularly like to acknowledge today and thank ABC regional manager Fiona Reynolds and the ABC Goulburn-Murray team: Bronwen O'Shea, Joseph Thomsen, Gaye Pattison, Erin Somerville and Tony Cattermole in Albury-Wodonga; and, in ABC Shepparton, Jan Deane, Matt Dowling, Warwick Long. Thank you for what you do in enabling the voice of rural and regional Australia to be heard loud and clear. Thank you to Heather Ewart for her fantastic work with the Back Roads production. It is just an amazing appreciation of how fantastic and wonderful rural and regional Australia is. To the local people who have got behind Friday's event: thanks for all your work. You are a terrific team and I really look forward to spending the day with you.

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