Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight is the annual Rural Women's Award, sponsored by AgriFutures, and I am proud to stand here today to say that the Victorian winner, who will represent our state, is Grace Larson, from my electorate. It is exciting to have another winner from my electorate as the Victorian representative in these great awards. Grace is a paediatric critical care nurse who, with her sister, founded The Sisterhood Project. The Sisterhood Project aims to address unfair health disadvantage faced by rural children. She is an outstanding advocate for children and rural health and a superstar from our region. Grace has said that she will use the grant money that she received with the Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women's Award to continue to support children and families through education and in regional Australia.

AgriFutures Rural Women's Award is in its 22nd year. It is the night where we come together in this place to celebrate the contribution that women make to our regional areas. In the Bendigo electorate, we have had our fair share of winners over the years, all achieving great things. I wish Grace the very best of luck tonight. Hopefully, she will get to bring the top prize back home to our region and our state.