Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker Bird, you know, I know, we all know that Casino is the true beef capital of Australia. After it was cancelled last year, we're all very much looking forward to beef week 2021. There are pretenders to being the beef week capital of Australia beyond Casino, but what none of them have is Brenda Armfield. Brenda has been a volunteer at beef week in Casino for nearly 35 years and holds the honorary role as the town crier for the event. Each year Brenda dresses up both herself and her car to fit with the theme and is a feature of the annual parade. She says she loves beef week because it brings people together—Casino residents and many visitors alike.

2021 will be the 39th year of beef week. It will be held from 22 May to 1 June. I'd like to acknowledge this year's executive—Frank McKey, Grant Shedden, Brody Lisha, Raelene Bodsworth, Murgha Mack and Sandra Humphreys. Also, the planned theme for Beef Week 2020, which has been rolled over to 2021, is Local Heroes. So, on top of our firefighters, police, volunteers, the SES and the RFS, we are now also celebrating the great work of our nurses, teachers, aged-care workers and business owners throughout the community who changed how their businesses operated to support the community through COVID. So, bring on Beef Week 2021.

I would like to acknowledge a wonderful lady in my community, Jean Vickery, from the Coffs coast northern beaches, who's made the top 30 in the finalists for the New South Wales Woman of the Year—a remarkable achievement. Jean moved to Emerald Beach 13 years ago. Jean and her husband, Victor, had had a farm there, where they'd raised their three children, Debbie, Julie and Tony. Since moving to the northern beaches, Jean has been involved with Meals on Wheels, Link to Life, the Westpac helicopter, the Red Cross and the Woolgoolga Lions Club, just to name a few. In fact, when Jean arrived at the Lions Club, she was the first woman to join the club and there are now 14.

A highlight for Jean was one day when she stopped at Uralla for a bottle of water and a lady in front of her saw the Woolgoolga Lions Club shirt that Jean was wearing and volunteered to buy her anything that she wanted at the shop because she knew the wonderful work that that group had been doing.

Last year Jean was also awarded the Coffs Harbour Citizen of the Year award. She's a humble lady, so much so that Jean says of all these awards that she gets, 'There's too much song and dance at times and it takes up time when you should be doing more in the community.' Isn't that said like a true community champion? Jean, thank you so much for what you do in our community and congratulations on making the top 30 finalists for this award.

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