Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I am here to talk about a local business operator on the Sunshine Coast who is doing a wonderful job in the face of adversity. Sister, an organic cafe owned and operated by Hayley Robinson, is nestled in the beautiful, lush hinterland of the Sunshine Coast and has recently celebrated its first anniversary. What makes this cafe an inspiration is the journey involved in getting it up and running. In 1996 Hayley started her apprenticeship as a chef in Byron Bay, continued her training in Wollongong and completed her trade at Ayers Rock with a view to travel. She landed in London, where an interview was held with Ben O’Donahue from ABC’s Surfing the menu. This experience in London of working with the brilliant combination of Ben and the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, introduced her to a wonderful world of exciting recipes, cookbooks, cooking programs, food styling and more experiences than any young chef could dream of. The world renowned chefs introduced Hayley to amazing people and taught her how to work smart in this trade as well as how to have a good time.

Returning home to Australia for a break and a family wedding and waiting for her four-year work permit to be processed, Hayley noticed her general health was not the best and discovered a small lump in her armpit. Routine tests and checks in February 2003 diagnosed it to be Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Instead of heading overseas, Hayley’s world was turned upside down. She now had to face cancer, a halt to an exciting cosmopolitan lifestyle and a world of chemotherapy, radiation and some heavy duty decision making. She ended up on the Sunshine Coast to begin her journey back to physical and emotional health.

Hayley decided against the conventional course of treatment, opting to help her body heal itself. Her new lifestyle now consisted of clean living, organic food, chiropractic care and emotional healing. After the initial shock and drastic changes, she began to settle in: her new life was not the burden she originally felt but a gift for which she is now extremely grateful. This bumpy journey has brought her to where she is today. The organic cafe Sister has enabled her to live the lifestyle that a healthy body requires and to continue her great love of cooking. Hayley is honoured to have been embraced by a community whose members are so eager to share both their produce and recipes as well as their journeys with cancer and a little of their lives with her. In return, she hopes to provide a fun, warm place for them to enjoy fresh, organic food with friends whilst supporting local farmers. Hayley Robinson is an inspiration to us all and I salute her in this place.