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

One of the privileges of being a member in this House is that, on occasions, I have the opportunity to stand and sing the praises of outstanding contributions by people in my community, the people in my electorate of Wright. Whether it be a community interest group, a specific region that has achieved, a specific industry group, a service group or maybe even an individual, I have no greater pleasure than acknowledging their contributions.

I start today by acknowledging the people from my electorate who were at AUSVEG National Convention held recently in Cairns. It was the biggest and most successful AUSVEG National Convention ever held in the history of the national peak industry body. In excess of 1,000 horticulture industry members attended the 2014 national convention, trade show and awards for excellence. Horticulture's best and brightest were treated to an evening of entertainment and recognition at the 2014 AUSVEG National Awards for Excellence. Involved in that outstanding event were none other than the guys from Kalfresh, a local carrot farmer and processor; a second-generation operation. They were the sponsors of the Great Debate. I thank the Hinrichsen family for their contribution to a fantastic weekend. Nominees for categories included Bauer's Organic Farm from the Lockyer Valley. Those guys are doing outstanding stuff on new ground. There was Bruce Wickham from Gatton who has farms around Warwick and has strong links in the transport sector. Bruce, we acknowledge your contribution and nomination. Belinda Adams took out one of the awards—she is from just outside my electorate—and that was well deserved. I look forward to seeing her farm.

A local Lockyer Valley success story, Mulgowie Farming Company, received the Industry Impact Award. This award is in recognition of the local grower's business as an industry trailblazer. It is also acknowledgement of the business's development of an Australian-first innovation involving supplying ready-fresh trimmed beans direct from the farm to the market. Mulgowie Farming Company's cleaned and trimmed beans were first launched in Australia in September 2012 and are now currently stocked in over 800 retail outlets right across Australia, making a significant contribution to growth in the Australian fresh bean category.

None other than Mrs Melinda Brimblecombe received the Women in Horticulture Award. Mrs Brimblecombe received the award in recognition of her contribution to championing the role of women in production horticulture and the mentoring of women within the Australian industry. We have mums who stay at home and look after the books for the farm and have an incredible amount of talent. She has been trying to qualify their skills through a certificate III in horticulture, including recognition of prior learning, which is the underlying driver.

I would like to acknowledge in the House today the Australian dairy industry. This morning I had the opportunity to attend the Developing Dairy Leaders Program, which was developed in response to the Australian Dairy Industry Council's Dairy leadership—an industry blueprint 2010-15, which identified 150 to 200 leadership roles across the industry requiring 40 new leaders to fill the positions each year. Throughout the program, participants increased their understanding of the dairy industry and the political environment in which it operates. They learnt to articulate, present and debate ideas and develop their policy development skills. One the representatives from our area here today with the dairy industry is none other than Luke Stock. Luke, you are who you are, my friend, because of the discipline that your parents have instilled in you. You will be an outstanding dairy operator into the future. I know that your father, Alan, and mother, Dolores, are eternally proud of you, as I am, for the work that you do in the community.

Also this week we had our Men's Shed guys from up in the electorate down here, so I also acknowledge John Greatorex for the work he does. He is from Boonah but is the vice-president of the Queensland Men's Shed Association, and he does great work. It is wonderful to see the bipartisan support that both sides of the House have for the good work that is conducted by the Men's Shed Association, and I acknowledge all the different branches.

Also in the House yesterday were St Bernard school students from years six and seven; 99 of them came to Canberra. Mums and Dads who will be reading this in their local newsletter know that they were very well behaved and that I will see them at their 100th-year celebrations.