Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand in this place today to send my sincere congratulations to Mayor Councillor Alf Lacey, councillors and the broader community on Palm Island. On 31 August and 1 September, beautiful Palm Island hosted their annual Spring Festival, which was held on the pristine foreshore of the esplanade, where visitors looked out over crystal clear, vibrant blue water. Well over 1,000 people attended the Spring Festival this year. Visitors were entertained by local guides, who conducted interactive guided history walks that re-enacted the stories about life on Palm Island in the days when the islanders were under the act. Local dancers, including very young children from the schools, performed traditional dances led by teenagers and elders, as did local people from the Cook Islands. The performances were professional and told ancient traditional cultural stories. It was great to see the young people dancing proudly with their elders. Local artists provided visitors with an introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander painting, and participants left the workshop with a piece of their very own original art. The local art on sale at the festival was stunning and original. Many people would have left the island with an original piece of artwork that they will proudly hang in their homes or wear.

Palm Island truly is the jewel in the crown of North Queensland and the opportunities for economic development via tourism are enormous. Palm Islanders are our first-nation people and they deserve action from this government to kickstart what could be and will be a thriving tourism economy.

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