John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm always proud to represent Australia's capital of innovation. Bennelong is home to our most innovative companies and has given the world such innovations as the cochlear implant and wi-fi. But our greatest and most ubiquitous invention is undoubtedly the Granny Smith apple. It was this apple that we celebrated in Eastwood on the weekend at the Granny Smith Festival. This year, tens of thousands from far and wide braved the weather forecast to celebrate 150 years since the apple was first grown and, more importantly, to celebrate our wonderfully vibrant community. And the weather held for most of the day to allow exploration of hundreds of stalls and enjoyment of the extensive performances on three stages which showed the cultural diversity of our corner of the city.

The parade was the longest I've seen in years and I had the joy of travelling with a fellow and his son who had bonded over their vintage Wolseley. The Granny Smith Festival is a highlight of the Bennelong social and cultural calendar and a reminder of the commitment of local people to our community. To walk around the festival is to see the huge diversity and pride of our residents, from shop owners, cultural groups and volunteers who help fellow residents to local service providers. We have a wonderful community, and it's days like this that amplify to us how lucky we all are. Thank you to all involved for this great celebration of our region and who we are.