Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

It's almost apt that I'm following the member for Riverina, because today I want to talk about Tumbatrek. Tumbatrek is an annual event which was started back in 1985 by Tim Fischer, a man who wanted to highlight the extraordinary surrounds of a place in the mighty Eden-Monaro called Tumbarumba. It's a place known for its absolute beauty, and every year we get to go along. As the custodian of Tim Fischer's walking stick, I feel a great sense of responsibility.

Tumbatrek was, of course, resurrected by the member for Riverina in his time representing Tumbarumba, and the member for Riverina and I share a deep love of making sure that this trek continues on for many years. Each year it changes its location, and this year's trek was on part of the Hume and Hovell Track. It was 16.6 kays of mostly up and a little bit down, in the hills of Tumbarumba. It was enjoyed by 100 people, and a huge thank you goes to the Snowy Valleys Council for putting this on each and every year. They do so not to make a profit but to carry on the legacy of the great Tim Fischer, and I want to thank everyone for being part of the day. It was extremely hot—about 36 degrees—and, at the end of that 16.6-kilometre walk, everyone enjoyed the lunch and a cool drink, down by the Tumbarumba creekscape. Thank you, Member for Riverina, for resurrecting it. It is a fantastic walk, and I look forward to it continuing in 2024.

The Murrumbateman Winery Trail is a fantastic project that's supported by $1 million from the Australian government and $1.2 million from the Yass Valley Council. It is 10 kilometres of track, which connects the town to multiple wineries in the region. For those of you who don't know, in Murrumbateman we have some of the best and well-known Canberra region wines. It will maintain and enhance the tourism and visitor experience there, but it also does something fantastic for our local community: it provides them 10 kilometres of trail to walk on, to ride on, to push the pram on and to get out for a bit of exercise.

I want to thank the council and the councillors for working so closely with the Murrumbateman community in making this dream a reality. That community is so fantastic. It works so closely, not only together but with the council, to make sure that they can achieve their dreams of a better and more productive area, one which will attract more tourists and more people to come and live there. If you haven't been out there, Murrumbateman is 30 minutes from the ACT. Get out there. We know how amazing the region is but, for those of you who don't, the mighty Eden-Monaro will gratefully accept your donations to a number of our businesses. There's something for everyone, and I urge you to visit those places close to us.

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