Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to highlight to the House some of the great work one of the local families—the Stewart family—on the Gold Coast is doing with Landcare.

The Stewart family has been on the coast for over 120 years. That family gave three sons to the Great War—Robert, William and George. Indeed, 154 mothers gave three sons to the Great War. That family has been on the land on the Gold Coast for over a century. Ken Stewart still lives on the property there; it is a large property of over 100 acres by the river and, of course, the road is called Stewart Road. Twenty-five years ago, Ken saw the effect that rising floodwaters have on the land and the residual riparian area—the river banks—so he started planting trees. Every weekend he and some mates planted thousands and thousands of trees, and Landcare joined them years afterwards. There are beautiful silky oaks and bottlebrush—all Australian varieties. To look at it now, it really is a wildlife sanctuary. These are the old farmers, caring for the land in the way that is best.

A month ago, after that dreadful cyclone we had, we had some of the greatest floods we have seen in over 100 years. Where I stood with Ken, the water would have been over our heads, and yet you would not notice the impact because of the work he had the other team did, starting 25 years ago.

So, well done to Ken Stewart. I thank Minister Hartsuyker for coming and joining me for the day, and well done to Landcare.