Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I commend the words of the member for Nicholls and echo his sentiments. I and the residents of Casey stand with him and his residents as they recover from the floods. In Casey, the Wandin Silvan Field Days have been circled in our farmers' and growers' calendars for over 50 years. After not being able to run it for the last two years, due to the pandemic, it was fantastic to see the Wandin East recreation reserve packed with locals and exhibitors again at the 53rd Wandin Silvan Field Days event. The wet weather and muddy fields did not dampen the enthusiasm of locals, who came along to see the latest in farming machinery and technology. There was something on show for the whole family at this year's event, with a number of lifestyle and general interest exhibitors holding stalls. The Field Days have always been a great opportunity for the Casey community to catch up and network with like-minded industry figures. This year was no exception, and I enjoyed catching up with many locals, business owners, community organisations and familiar faces.

In Casey, around 11,300 hectares are used for agricultural production, growing wine, strawberries, cherries and apples in our rich soil. Almost 2,000 people are employed full time, with more than 700 businesses registered in agriculture in Casey. Agriculture is in my blood. My grandparents migrated from Italy in 1953, settling and establishing a farm in Silvan. My Uncle Sam and Aunty Vicky only just retired from their strawberry farm in Coldstream. That's why I love the Field Days. They are a reminder of how important the agriculture industry is to the fabric of Casey. It's not just about the economy but also about the family connections, the friends and the communities that are built over generations.

I ran into many familiar faces, including Belinda from Tribe-Monbulk Youth Incorporated. They're a local organisation doing incredible work to empower young people in the Yarra Ranges. I also ran into Dave from Treasuring Our Trees, a group that was established after the June storms devastated our communities in 2021. And I had an amazing chat with the president of the Silvan Football Club, Charlie Caputo, who was still on a high from their recent premiership win. The club won its first premiership in eight years back in September, and it's an amazing achievement for the club.

From my conversations, I could see local farmers were optimistic about the season ahead, despite the many challenges facing the agriculture industry in Casey. Many raised with me the concerns they had over the rising cost of goods and the lack of workers they can access to pick their crops. The skills and worker shortages are by far the biggest barrier to business growth in my electorate. That's why I will continue to advocate for a designated area migration agreement in partnership with Yarra Ranges Council. It will help our businesses, including our agriculture, tourism and hospitality businesses, address the skill shortages that they currently have.

The Field Days would not be possible without the support of local CFA groups who assist in the organisation of the event. It was great to catch up with the members of the Gruyere, Wandin and Seville CFAs over the course of the weekend, including Peter Burgi, a legend of Gruyere who recently received a medal for 60 years of service for the Gruyere CFA. The CFA play such an important role in Casey. Not only do they show up for the community in times of emergency; they are always out doing their bit to support local events as well. It was fantastic to see that all proceeds from the gate at the Field Days would be donated back to our local firefighters.

Congratulations to the Wandin Silvan Field Days committee and subcommittee for hosting yet another successful field day event this year. Your resilience over the past two years has paid off, and it was wonderful to see the community back together again. A special shout-out goes to Casey from Casey Jnr Trucking, who did an amazing job helping countless cars get out of the bogged mud. It was a great event despite the mud and the rain—the farmers wouldn't have it any other way—and I can't wait to come back next year and enjoy the festivities.

The House transcript was published up to 19:55. The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ) took the chair at 09:30.