Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about a number of contrasting events I attended in quite different parts of my electorate, which underline the incredible diversity of the South-East NSW region. One of the particularly great things about having a rural seat as diverse as Eden-Monaro is you get to see some really different communities.

Recently I had the great pleasure of attending the 7th Michelago Mayfair. Many of you listening today may ask: where is Michelago? It is a beautiful spot between Canberra and Cooma. Founded in the 1820s, it was on the main route from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains. Michelago is located on the famous Monaro Plains and has a rich history. According to historian Lea-Scarlett, on 1 June 1866 a bushranging gang consisting of the Clarke brothers, Patsy Connell and two accomplices held up Michelago town and drank its entire liquor supply before staggering off to their rocky hide-out called 'Beefcask' in the Tinderry Mountains. Today Michelago is a small town of around 600 people, depending on how wide the count, with a strong sense of community. Quite a few people commute to Canberra every day down the Monaro Highway.

The 7th Michelago Mayfair attracted a good crowd. It was held at the village oval on Ryrie Street. The day featured Majura Comedy Magic, a Patting Paddock, rural displays, market stalls, live entertainment, and some delicious food. The historic railway station was open with photos from Michelago's past on display. That station was first opened in 1887. I commend the organisers of the Michelago Mayfair. It was a great day out for so many families.

Contrast that Sunday event in Michelago with the previous Sunday when I spent some time with some colleagues and constituents in Brogo. Brogo is around 20 kilometres north of Bega. Nearby is the Brogo Dam which is contained within the Brogo wilderness area and the southern section of Wadbilliga National Park. Unlike Michelago, around Brogo is a high rainfall area with incredible rainforest and many native birds and animals. Brogo has it all—from bushwalking to beautiful views of the Bega Valley. The contrast in terms of soil, topography and rainfall with the Monaro plains could not be sharper. Brogo is just another example of that incredible and largely untapped tourist potential that abounds in Eden-Monaro.

Finally, recently I attended the NSW Farmers Cooma Branch Wild Dog Cooperative meeting along with the hardworking member for Monaro, John Barilaro, to discuss wild dog issues. Over 100 local farmers gathered at this Wild Dogs Forum in Cooma. The challenge that farmers face with wild dogs is quite significant as it affects income, damage to livestock, major loss of stock, strenuous activity to avoid attacks and a great deal of psychological stress. I would like to congratulate the organisers of this event which brought the community together to discuss this issue. I would like to single out Michael Green, Sue Litchfield, Warren Schofield, Roger Roach and the president for NSW farmers, Fiona Simson.

Just on this issue, I was also delighted to host a meeting in late March with the federal Minister for Agriculture and all seven shire councils in Eden-Monaro. One of the key issues we discussed was the effect of wild dogs in the rural community. This a vital issue for farmers, which is why the coalition government has provided $10 million for pest management.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has also released the first wild dogs report in Australia, An integrated assessment of the impact of wild dogs in Australia. The research report evaluates the economic, environmental and social costs of wild dogs, which are estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Our city cousins will have no real appreciation of the extent to which this wild dogs issue impacts on many rural farming communities.

In summary, as these various events that I have outlined today clearly illustrate, Eden-Monaro has a rich history and, like so many other rural and regional parts of Australia, Eden-Monaro has strong communities that are the bedrock of our great nation. I conclude by noting that Eden-Monaro is one of the Federation seats from New South Wales. You may have a different view, Deputy Speaker Scott, being, I suspect, a very loyal Queenslander yourself, but with the State of Origin game on tonight, can I wish the New South Wales Blues and the coach Laurie Daley all the best, and I look forward to a great win.