Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to place on record my congratulations to the Australian Reptile Park, an outstanding local business in my electorate of Robertson on the Central Coast. The Reptile Park is an iconic tourist attraction in our region and a big part of our history. Since 1958 it's been a major tourist attraction for our region. It welcomes thousands of visitors every year and employs 65 staff, as well as volunteers. When travelling along the M1—or the F3 as we all know it—who can miss Ploddy, the 55-year-old giant dinosaur replica, a constant reminder of the natural attractions and history of the place? A few weeks ago the Reptile Park was named 2018 New South Wales business of the year at the Business Chamber Awards from a pool of 172 finalists from 16 regions across the state. The Reptile Park also took home the excellence in business award. Tim Faulkner, director of the Australian Reptile Park, said, 'Being an Australian and a family-owned business makes receiving awards like this even better.' Tim said, 'It's wonderful to be able to share this with our staff and our visitors.'

As we head into the summer holidays the Reptile Park has got plenty on offer for the whole family. There are loads of chances to experience all that the park has to offer. In a few short weeks the park will open its brand new exhibit, the dragon's lair, which will be home to some komodo dragons, as well as their Aussie bush wildlife sleep out in the New Year.

To the whole team, congratulations on this special award. I can't wait to see what you achieve next. I look forward to coming and visiting with the kids over the holidays. (Time expired)

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