Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Many times in this House I have praised the work of the Country Women's Association across this great nation. The CWA is a tremendous organisation where women contribute much towards community life and issues affecting rural and regional Australia. Recently, I met with the CWA at Gargett, in the Pioneer Valley west of Mackay. I attended a lunch provided by CWA president Mavis Head and her members Connie Muscat, Dawn Breadsell, Mary Vassallo, Caryn Kempster, Anne Webster, Nola Duncan and Carolyn Tandridge. There are 25 members of Gargett branch, and I thank the ladies for their warm hospitality and feedback on federal issues, as well as the lovely cookbook on slices, which I am yet to use. Recently, I was thrilled to announce we were able to secure a new mobile phone tower at Gargett to fix up mobile black spots under our federal government's $100 million Mobile Black Spot Program.

Current president Mavis Head has been involved with the CWA for 45 years as a member and in varying executive roles. The Gargett CWA was formed in 1948, and their hall was built in about the 1950s. Gargett CWA recently refurbished aspects of their hall, thanks to grants from the Mackay Regional Council. The wider Pioneer division of the CWA is made up of 12 CWA branches spanning from Koumala to Collinsville and the Sarina Range.