Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The community of Gisborne has had plenty of recognition of late, with it being the backdrop for the most recent series of The Block. But as someone who knows this beautiful town and community well, being in our electorate of McEwen, I would like to make sure that people know it for the great place it is. Gisborne is a vibrant and thriving community with deep connections throughout the very different elements of the area.

Only last month, the highly regarded local news team at the Gisborne Gazette, who are listening today, were recognised twice at the Community News Association of Victoria awards with nods in the Best Editorial Comment and Best History Story categories. The Gisborne Gazette is a much loved part of Gisborne, and the value of community newspapers is shown in publications such as this one and the connection they provide to the communities they service.

It was through this publication that I found out about the Gisborne Men's Shed young shedders program, where Gisborne Secondary College students spend time at the shed working on projects they can sell or donate. This program is a great example of developing strong connections within the community that may not be forged so easily in other situations.

Gisborne has several great community assets but the people and their commitment to the community has to be the most valuable one that they have, and the importance of community newspapers can never be underestimated for the stories they tell for locals, about locals, that keep you informed. It's important we have diversity in our media, such as having independent, thriving community newspapers that actually do the job of reporting.