Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): I rise to acknowledge the success of Festivale, a three-day celebration and showcase of the very best of Tasmanian food, drink and entertainment in Launceston from 7-9 February. It is an iconic Tasmanian event celebrating what we can offer the world and has certainly come a long way since its 1988 origins as a multicultural street party. Around 40,000 patrons attended Festivale this year.

Tasmania has a well-deserved reputation as a fine agri-food and wine producer. By way of example, at the 2013 Decanter Wine Awards, the Josef Chromy 2011 Chardonnay was judged the world's best chardonnay. Our agri-food producers are closer to the Antarctic than they are to Shanghai. They cannot compete on production quantity, but they can, and do, compete on quality. Small, larger, artisan and family businesses are all found at Festivale, meeting customer demand for exceptional-quality products. Festivale is also a showcase for other important Tasmanian values: networking, volunteering and the significant role of community groups.

Festivale is run by a volunteer committee and supported by volunteer organisations like my Lions Club, the Riverside Lions Club. I acknowledge particularly the efforts of Lou Clark as Chair, David Dunn, Chris Veevers, Jo Waldren and the Festivale team for an outstanding contribution to the Northern Region of Tasmania and to the rest of Tasmania in terms of its brand recognition.