Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I was thrilled to tour the Mid Murray Council area of my electorate. The communities of Mannum and Morgan are strong river communities with exciting projects on the go. During my visit to Mannum, I was pleased to announce support for the Mannum Dock Museum of River History, with funding for restorations to the PS Mayflower. This funding is being delivered through the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme. Morgan's PS Canally Restoration Committee will also receive funding support though the same scheme, for the PS Canally. Both Morgan and Mannum have a proud paddle-steamer heritage, and I am so pleased that the federal government is helping to keep that heritage alive.

The wharves in both Mannum and Morgan are also being upgraded, thanks to our National Stronger Regions Fund, and I am looking forward to what these projects will do to enliven these river communities as visitors travelling along the river stop off to enjoy what these already thriving towns have to offer.

I was excited also to see a new playground in Morgan officially open last week. This is a project which has been a long time in the planning, and I was so pleased to see that it was very much worth the wait.

I want to give huge thanks to the mayor of Mid Murray Council, Dave Burgess, for his hospitality. Special mention must also go to Deb Alexander, whose passion for river communities is so evident; Phil Reed, Chairman of the PS Canally Restoration Committee; and Rob Bowring OAM, PS Mayflower's project leader.