Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Wednesday I was pleased to stand alongside the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Harry Jenkins, and jointly host the inaugural Taste of Plenty Expo here in Parliament House. The Taste of Plenty Expo showcased food and beverages from throughout the Plenty Valley region. This region takes in most of my electorate of Calwell and the electorate of Scullin.

Produce was contributed to the expo by a broad range of food and beverage manufacturers, ranging from cheese to wine, breakfast cereals and cured meats. The rich variety of food and drink that we were lucky enough to enjoy on the evening reflects the broad diversity of cultures that make up the communities of Melbourne’s north. To a large extent, this culinary history overlays the multicultural history of Melbourne itself. The culinary traditions of these communities now have found their place as a major structural component of food manufacturing in northern metropolitan Melbourne. Food manufacturers in Melbourne’s north now employ over 5,500 people, and this number continues to grow.

Our culinary history is something that Melbournians are very proud of. Although this is the first event of its kind from the Plenty Valley, it builds on a very long history. The fertile river valleys to the north of Melbourne are amongst the state’s earliest agricultural districts and since the 1840s have produced a wide range of good food and wine.

Last Wednesday I was pleased to share the stage with the member for Scullin, because the expo was more than just about enjoying good produce from our electorates; last Wednesday demonstrated the success story that is the Plenty Food Group. The Plenty Food Group has been a great success. It has overseen the expansion of food manufacturing in our region and has done a great job in working with the community to develop strategies that ensure local food and wine manufacturing continues to prosper. Moreover, the expo demonstrated how effectively our local councils have been at engaging and supporting this process of local, strategic economic development. I welcome the continued good working relationship between the federal government and the local councils—in this case, both the Hume City Council and the Whittlesea City Council.

I would also like to acknowledge the participants from my electorate who made the effort to come to Parliament House last week. I want to acknowledge and thank County Cooked Meats, Denali Foods, Pronto e Fresco, Wilson’s Meat and Poultry/Olympic Smallgoods, Naturally Good Products, Amaranth Australia and the Hume City Council. There were many other manufacturers who contributed. I look forward to working with all food manufacturers across the north of Melbourne to continue the success story of the Plenty Food Group. Those members who did not get the opportunity to join us last week can look forward to our expo next year.