Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Colleagues, North East Victoria is famous around the world for its brilliant wines, and another top-class winery from the area has been recognised for its excellent work. Congratulations to Pizzini Wines on winning the Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries Award at the Australian Tourism Awards held in Melbourne last Saturday. This was a very special night for the Pizzini family. To Katrina, Alfredo, Joel, Natalie, Nicole and Carlo and the entire team: congratulations on your great work! This latest recognition follows on from the RACV Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries Award last year.

This family-owned winery is based in the beautiful King Valley at Whitfield and specialises in a wide range of Italian wines. It has important roles in the valley as a family business, employer and tourist attraction, and it is heavily involved in helping promote the sector. The winery is much more than just a vineyard. There is marketing, running the cellar door, the popular cooking school and the winemaking crews that do a fantastic job.

I would particularly like to use this opportunity to thank the Pizzini winery and all the businesses and families of the King Valley for the work that they have done. I am proud to say today that I have nominated you, as a mobile phone blackspot, as one of my priority communities for improved services. I know that without good mobile phone coverage we cannot do business and grow tourism, so I am really looking forward to working with the government to get us really good mobile phone coverage. (Time expired)