Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia 27th National Rally 2012, which will officially open next Tuesday, 16 October. The rally will be held in Boonah at the Boonah Showground & Coronation Park, and it will run from Monday 15 to Sunday 21 October.

As of this morning there were over 1,108 motorhomes registered and booked in at Boonah for the rally, which will provide fantastic economic and social promotion for our tourism sector. The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia is the largest of its kind in the nation, with more than 60,000 members and 97 different chapters. I am extremely pleased to be involved with such an event and I am certain that many of the local businesses in the region will benefit from this event.

I applaud the Scenic Rim Regional Council and particularly Mayor John Brent for their work, support and sponsorship of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia, which has in turn generated much positive awareness in representing the Scenic Rim. Attendees will be in the perfect position to witness and experience the hospitality of the Scenic Rim firsthand, and I am looking forward to seeing the tremendous spirit of the region in action.

I also congratulate outgoing Boonah District Chamber of Commerce President Adrian Stephan for the energy and the time that he has put into talking to local businesses about the opportunities presented by the rally and the economic boost this rally will bring to the region. I also take the opportunity to acknowledge Julian Creighton, the new incoming chamber of commerce president who, I know, will do a fantastic job.

I commend CMCA rally managers Edna and Leo Huyghebaert and the numerous volunteers who have worked together to ensure that the rally is a success. I would encourage all the participants who will travel from right around this great nation, from across all of the states, to Boonah, to be part of and participate in the week, to ensure that they travel safely.

I also encourage them, as baby boomers travelling to Boonah, to see that, if they are looking to spend their kids' inheritance, the Scenic Rim is a great place to invest the kids' inheritance! The Scenic Rim is a beautiful place to holiday, and we encourage all to come and see the specials that will be on display with reference to the sale of motorhomes and, in particular, the different types of entertainment there will be and the friendships that will be brought about through the week put together by the CMCA.

Boonah is a quaint little country town situated about an hour and 20 minutes south-west of Brisbane. You will be able to experience the quaint country hospitality, along with the vineyards and wineries and many scenic bushwalks. I would also like to acknowledge Bob Baldwin for coming to attend and assisting me in opening it in a formal capacity.