Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very much looking forward to Saturday, 15 November. I will be in Ballina by the sea—a beautiful part of the world—for the prawn festival. This is the second year of the festival. Last year it attracted 18,000 people. This year we are expecting well in excess of 20,000 people. The catalyst for the festival last year was the 40th anniversary of the arrival of the Las Balsas rafts in Ballina after they crossed the Pacific Ocean from South America. There is a team organising this event, as with everything. It is led by founder and head organiser Nadia Elliot-Burgess. She also runs the local chamber of commerce in Ballina. She has boundless energy. This festival will be celebrating the laid-back Ballina lifestyle that brings together thousands of local residents and visitors from throughout the northern rivers and beyond.

I would like to name a few of the sponsors. These events cost a lot of money and without these sponsors it would not happen: the Ballina Chamber of Commerce, the Ballina Fair Shopping Centre, the Fishermen's Co-op, the Sydney Fish Market, the Macadamia Castle, Ballina Shire Council, Ballina RSL, the Ramada Hotel, North Coast TAFE, The Northern Star, Blue River Design, LJ Signs, Coates Hire, Tursa, Totally Workwear, eMedia Worx, Air T&G, Bunnings Warehouse, Prime 7, ZZZ, Coaster Kings and Essential Energy.