Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to finish an important speech I started last sitting week. On Friday 2 October I attended the 1770 Cultural Connections Immersion Festival. It's an event held over two days and it celebrates the history of the traditional owners of the region. During my visit on Friday, I spoke to many people from all over the region, from Rockhampton to Bundaberg and further afield. I believe the festival was a huge success. That was obvious from the happy group of people at the festival, enjoying each other's company.

The location was perfect. There was plenty of room and great live music. There were lots of activities that you could join in or watch and plenty of activities to get involved in, like bush tucker walks, smoking ceremonies, weaving a dolphin sculpture and learning about corals. There was also relaxing music, didgeridoo playing, dancing and storytelling. Congratulations to Brother Kerry Blackman and his team for an excellent event. I'm hoping this will become an ongoing event in the future.

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