Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to commend the outstanding efforts of my rural neighbours, friends and colleagues who are celebrating a record-breaking harvest throughout the electorate of O'Connor. Many of my constituents are celebrating yields as high as 2.5 tonnes to the hectare of canola, four tonnes to the hectare of wheat and up to five tonnes per hectare of barley. These figures are testimony to their determination through the hard times, their physical toil throughout the season and their embrace of innovative technologies as they aim to maximise their productivity regardless of what mother nature throws their way.

Such is the production in my electorate, the segregations have closed with grain storages filled to capacity. Emergency grain holding facilities have been hurriedly built in Dumbleyung, Broomhill, Cranbrook and Newdegate to cope with the overflow. The Esperance Port zone to date has handled 2.25 million tonnes of grain; Albany, 2.6 million tonnes; and Kwinana 6.1 million tonnes. Total receivals across the state reached 13 million tonnes this week. I commend Co-operative Bulk Handling, CBH, on the efficient management of this record harvest.

The deep water port of Esperance recently clocked another record when the biggest barley shipment ever to load in Western Australia departed on 18 November. The 230-metre floating behemoth, the Minoan Falcon, conveying 77,000 tonnes of barley with an estimated value of $19 million, left our shores destined for Saudi Arabia, Australia's biggest export market for feed barley. The Minoan Falcon was able to dispatch the equivalent of three days harvest receivals, creating big efficiencies in grain storage times and infrastructure use in the Esperance Port zone. Being able to use these mega vessels to ship grain to distant markets such as the Middle East and Africa also creates competitive freight costs and subsequent grain price advantage for our farmers. When talking grain price, our farmers are also reaping the financial benefits from strong international competition for quality Australian product with wheat prices fetching up to $300 per tonne this season.

A good season always seems to bring out the innate generosity in our local farming communities, with farmers donating excess grain to be sold by CBH to raise cash for the Philippines relief effort in the wake of typhoon Haiyan. Recognising that most farms in the Philippines are barely larger than a backyard garden, many of the farm tools that helped build Esperance's great rural economy are now getting a second life rebuilding a shattered nation, a world removed from bumper harvests.

In a gesture typical of regional communities, hearts and pockets have been opened to the plight of those less fortunate with the people of Esperance and surrounds mobilising in support of their Filipino friends. The Rotary Club of Esperance Bay has just filled a shipping container with donations of food, tools and building equipment to be sent to an area where members of Esperance's hard-working and vibrant Filipino community have family directly affected by this humanitarian crisis. Local businesses have also rallied to the cause with Esperance Freight Lines generously donating a sea container and transporting it to Perth. Merchant Shipping has provided sea transport free of charge as far as Singapore. Esperance Solar has donated solar power equipment and is acting as a collection point for goods. Peter Murray Communications have donated essential communications equipment. The Supa IGA and Pink Lake IGA are matching public donations of 10-kilo bags of rice and are encouraging donations of other long-life food.

The local Mitre 10 hardware store has chipped in, donating tools and has been a collection point for tarpaulins, tents, blankets, eskis and household goods, which will be distributed to some of the estimated four million displaced people. As Christmas approaches, the Rotary club has secured another sea container and this weekend at the Esperance Christmas pageant many of the 14,000 residents will bring donations of toys, clothes and books to be sent to children affected by the crisis. Esperance children will paint messages of hope and friendship on the outside of the sea container for their Filipino friends to read.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to a community I feel very proud to represent and wish all of my electorate a merry Christmas and a gift of health and happiness in the new year.