Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the past 57 days, the Daily Telegraph and Western Sydney News, local papers, together with Channel 7 and Nova have run a very successful campaign highlighting all the local heroes, local legends, rising stars and the incredible opportunities Western Sydney has to offer. And again I am proud to say that Penrith and the Nepean Valley have definitely pulled above their weight.

Those members who followed my Facebook or Twitter accounts would be aware of some of the amazing and remarkable contributions of people from the Lindsay electorate. For instance, on Tuesday, 20 May, in the 'Best in the West Food Finalists', that Daily Telegraph highlighted a number of great businesses in the Lindsay electorate. For starters, you could go to Zokoko, that have handcrafted chocolate and handcrafted coffee. You could have a pub feed at Colyton. If you were after a good breakfast there were three businesses that made the list: Belle Saveur Patisserie Cafe, which is known for having the Ryan Girdler grind, and Henri Marc, which are both in Penrith, or the Lewis Gallery in Emu Plains.

For those who are up for a bit of a thrill, on Tuesday 27 May the Daily Telegraph highlighted the best activities for adventure in Western Sydney. There were six activities, of which three were in Lindsay: IFly Downunder, Australia's first indoor skydiving centre; the Penrith Whitewater Stadium and international Olympic facility; and Jetpack Adventures.

Other great local organisations featured by the Daily Telegraph included local Aboriginal organisation Muru Mittigar, and Little Wings—a very remarkable and wonderful flight service that unites families with their sick children.

Throughout the campaign, the Daily Telegraph sought out images from locals to capture the West. No surprises: it went to a resident, Hailey McFarlane from Glenmore Park, who won the award with an amazing photo of four generations of her family, that all come from Western Sydney. As someone who herself can claim multigenerations from Western Sydney, I know what that looks like.

Upon winning the award, Hailey said that the photo is as much about where she is from as it is about her grandmother, her mother, herself and her daughter. It is a fabulous story about the generations, like mine, who have chosen to stay and live in Western Sydney. And really—why wouldn't they?

Last night, the 'Fair Go for the West' campaign culminated with an awards ceremony at the Rooty Hill RSL. I was proud to attend with the Prime Minister, the New South Wales premier and, of course, my Western Sydney colleagues from both sides of the House. The 'champions of the West' awarded $10,000 grants to projects and initiatives right across Western Sydney in 13 categories. Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural and Education Centre, located at Castlereagh, is an Aboriginal cultural and education centre, and a finalist in the Indigenous category. Many may or may not be aware that Western Sydney does have the largest Indigenous population in the country. This is a wonderful not-for-profit organisation which strives to improve the social and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal people right across Western Sydney.

I am very pleased to note that the winner of the small business category was the one-and-only Debbie O'Connor from The Creative Fringe. The Creative Fringe connects small business owners with creative talent in Western Sydney, collaborating to make and showcase the incredible talent across the region. In Western Sydney they collaborate and make amazing things happen. I think The Creative Fringe is an amazing example of that.

I think one of the other things about The Creative Fringe and Debbie O'Connor is the 'hot desks' that she is using, actually having all the different small business operators working together. It is a unique business opportunity and it is also a unique work environment for the people of Western Sydney, and it will give them the ability not to have to commute into the city.

I would like to congratulate all the winners on the night and throughout the entire 'West' campaign over the previous 57 days. I thank the Daily Telegraph for recognising the potential of this remarkable region. Madam Speaker, there is such a breadth of talent across Western Sydney, and I know that you yourself have lived there and experienced it firsthand. I feel that only a small portion has been recognised in this campaign, but we know our potential; we know the quality we experience every single day. Events and campaigns like this go a very long way to telling our unique story and showcasing it to the rest of Australia. I congratulate the Daily Telegraph for recognising this fabulous region.