Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's always an enormous privilege to speak about the wonderful members of my local northern Tasmanian community, particularly when I've had the opportunity to meet them in person. I was fortunate enough to meet Patrick Rosevear in late 2019 when he was nominated for an achievement award for his work with rural youth. Living on a farm myself, I was immediately impressed with Patrick's passion for farming and agriculture. Recently, Patrick was named as a local winner of the ABC Heywire competition, telling the story of his love for the land and farming. It was particularly wonderful to read of Patrick's love for his parents and the role they have played in ensuring that Patrick, who was diagnosed with autism at four years of age, had all the opportunities to fulfil his dreams.

Patrick, who hails from multiple generations of sheep and livestock farmers, is currently studying for a certificate III in agriculture and has a work placement at the Powranna Sale Yards, south of Launceston. As Patrick told Heywire: 'My perfect day would be bringing the sheep from their overnight pens, pushing them up through the draft, where they get separated and penned into the saleyards, then putting all the cards onto the fence for the auctioneer to read. Noise can be an issue for me; I hate sirens. But when you're busy working you don't notice the sounds and they're there for a reason.'

Patrick, it's clear to anyone who has met you that farming is your passion. You're well on your way to achieving your dreams and I wish you every luck for your future.